A Butterfly's Discretion
by SyCoalaIX
Summary: Sasuke has a plan to convince an old peer to join his side, but plans are such fragile things.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: This will be a two parter. This is kind of an au story, you see in this tale Madara doesn't exist. The characters, especially Sasuke, are left more to their own devices. Please be patient for updates, I want it to be alright. I am also very lazy. If this inspired any thoughts, I would love to hear them. Have a lovely day, okay?**_

Permission was such a strange concept. He played with the word in his mind for a minute, imagined it rolling off his tongue. He had always just taken what he wanted. He had found if he did such a thing, people never bothered to stop him anyhow. What was the point in asking? Hearts, minds, time, he could have those in a glance. Approval, he hadn't ever needed this either. He only put up with praise as a consequence of pushing himself, yet he was proud. Proud of his independence and strength.

He had not need such things, but as he watched Konoha from the tree tops, he tasted regret. He did not regret the actions he had taken over the years, only the consequences. People feared him, nobody tried to know them. See his reputation preceded him and people seemed to have a distaste for spending extra time with him. He was nineteen, and had yet to have a girl, not that he minded much. He took over the Akatsuki, forming new branches and watching and waiting to intervene justly. The villages often overstepped. He knew these oversteps lead to and decided to stop these.

He had Karin by his side. She was focussing on some detail, her hand pressed against her glasses and the other gripping his arm. He had grown used to her touching him. She was still obnoxious, but she was strong. If only she would listen to him better.

He was here with a purpose. Collect the outliers, the ones who would be willing to leave not because the glamour seen by being associated with him. Talent, blood talent would also be necessary. There was one clan known for their outcasts, they outcast anyone for nearly any reason. He had his mind set on Neji. He had always respected him. They were two sides of the same coin. He imagined they might have been close if not for political complications.

"I don't sense his Chakra the way you described it, Sasuke, are you sure he's even here"? Karin asked, her voice sharp.

"He's here." Sasuke said.

"He could be on a mission, you know, if he's as talented as you say, Konoha is probably working him hard." she argued, certain the man was not here.

"Missions decrease substantially in the winter" Sasuke admitted.

"All the Hyuga are in one building. Maybe It's a funeral, Sasuke, how awful to bury a body in the winter. I used to hate the winters in the northern hideout, the ground froze solid, the bodies had to be kept in the morgue for months" She frowned slightly pouting like a child. He could tell she thought she looked cute when she did as such.

He dropped down, sandaled feet crunching into fresh snow. It was deeper than he had expected, but his refined reflexes prevented him from sinking past his ankles. Karin dropped down after, plummeting waist deep into snow. He didn't turn to look into her face, but imagined the tone of her face matched her eyes and hair. Together they easily made it past the guards, who were dotted along the top of the now iron wall. Karin guided him, and he wouldn't have said but without her he might have been noticed, not caught, he could handle a fight, but noticed.

The night was cloudless, for better and worse. The pair cut though the civilian cemetery that lined the left wall. Sasuke brushed Rai's headstone with his fingertips as he passed. Karin had the tact not to ask, even though curiosity ignited within her. She knew Sasuke well enough to know no action was ever wasteful. The cemetery lie at the very end of town center. The two huddled close as they passed other couples. The Hygua's had taken their own will in creating defense measures. Tall stone walls and Hyuga guards. They snuck around the back.

"Why is this always easy"?

Sasuke didn't answer, he was examining the compound grounds. It was more ornate than how he remembered the Uchiha's. There were stone bridges arched over frozen pounds, and wrought iron lamp posts were scattered across the place, of which he assumed lined paths, but the paths were nowhere to be seen. He noticed a large central building, white like the snow and a dark pointed roof, peaking from beneath thick snow.

The building was humming with life. There was no death here, yet he had no desire to enter the place. He walked over to Karin and the two of them perched in a nearby oak tree. Karin thought it romantic. Sasuke reveled in the harshness of the cold.

"I still don't think he's here," Karin murmured, slurring because her mouth was numb. Sasuke opened his eyes and began walking back towards the stone wall. He jumped onto the wall in one motion. He kneeled activating his sharingan to see where he couldn't. Karin followed bewildered by his erratic movements. But he moves how he thinks, she knew. He wouldn't do anything out of boredom or bare curiosity. He had outgrown such influences years before.

He began back through the snowy street. Karin window shopped behind him, enjoying the sight of original weapons and couples curled into late night cafes. The sharpness of the air was wearing her down. She felt lesions tearing in her throat from it, but Sasuke continued as if the weather could not affect him. His ears were red though, and his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his winter ware.

They came across a flower shop. Sasuke leaned next to the shop window folding his arms across his chest. He looked at Karin. She entered the store at the sound of a wooden wind chime. The space was tiled a baby blue, the walls a soft green, and it was humid. Her glasses fogged up and she removed them tucking them into her pocket. A blonde girl with eyes like the same shade as the polished tile, greeted her.

"Hello, we're just about to close, but what can I do you for?" The girl asked her voice loud and sharp like the winter air.

"Um flowers," Karin grumbled her entire face tingling from the changed temperature.

"Well you've come to the right place, for what occasion?" the girl blinked. She spoke accompanied by dramatic gesticulations. Karin was annoyed.

"Something seasonal." She grit her teeth.

"Well geeze that is everything we have," she faltered noticing Karin's dark demeanor, "Our most popular item will definitely be a hit." She said a cheery as she could muster. She hoped some of her mood could rub off on this poor girl. She stepped into the back long blonde hair shimmering. Karin felt jealously prick her and she couldn't help but bring her frozen fingers up to touch her own jagged red hair.

She gazed at a sign propped by a twist of wire on the dirt dusted wooden counter. 'If I had a flower for every time you made me smile, I'd have an entire garden' it read. Karin was not inspired by this sentiment. The blonde returned and placed a small wreath of woven pine and poinsettias and bright berries.

"What do you think?" The blonde asked leaning forward on the counter. Habit from serving male customer's probably. If Karin had those curves she would certainly do the same.

"Perfect." Replied Karin. She dug abound in her pocket retrieving the adequate amount. She denied a gift wrap as she exited the shop to the sound of wooden wind chimes.

She presented the parcel to Sasuke. "You carry it," he said pushing himself off the wall and continuing his, and by consequence her own, journey.

She couldn't help herself, "What is the Sasuke Uchiha afraid of flowers?" She grinned, "Do they threaten your masculinity." Sasuke, to her disappointment, ignored her, as per usual. So she persisted, "You shouldn't associate flowers with females," she lied to prove her point, "the man at the counter could have beaten the average man up. Most would consider him manly. He was six foot two, at least, and had muscles like you wouldn't believe. If he can handle flowers and he's manly, that means you're not and I am."

Sasuke replied "I know who works there Karin," his voice steady. Karin did not respond.

Snow began to fall as they reached the cemetery gates. Karin knew better than to complain about the cold, and still it was pretty. The air glimmered against the inky sky. Sasuke began walking up and down the rows reading each headstone. He was so focussed, Karin didn't follow, as he seemed a million miles away. Halfway through the second row he came to a stop and waved his arm to tell Karin to return to him. She did, pushing through ankle deep snow. It felt like a shame to disturb such serenity. She stepped beside him read the epitaph, 'Hyuga Neji aged 19 years, beloved cousin and comrade.' A bundle of lavender tied by white string rested atop the tomb. Karin knelt and rested the wreath against the headstone. She paused a moment before standing. Sasuke began walking toward the exit. Karin felt warmness, she always did when he proved to have a heart.

She caught up by the time he reached the gate. "So what now?" she whispered.

"Don't whisper." He said.

"Sorry," she said voice breaking into loudness.

"There is another, same plan, different Hyuga." He explained starring ahead.

"You owe me a trip to a luxury hot spring," Karin half laughed, half chattered.

"You can leave at any time," Sasuke looked into her eyes. His sense of humor duller even than his sense of sight.

"I know, but I have thing to do back near the hideout, not till later though, so I think I'll waste some time helping you. Waiting around is such a bore," she defended out of habit.

They crunched through snow in silence back to the Hyuga compound. Fewer shop lines shone in the darkness, fewer couples cluttered the streets. Karin repressed the urge to press closer to him, she had annoyed him enough for tonight. She was not unaware of the effect she had on him, yet she couldn't help herself. She never did have the most acute of impulse controls.

Back at the compound the crowd had dispersed. Each family unit now tucked away in their respected cubbies. Sasuke was unfamiliar with the layout of this compound. He understood the information Jugo had given him, the map, must have been pre urban destruction. If it were anyone else to commit such an error he would have been deeply annoyed. He scanned the property with his blurred vision and listened. He didn't mind the blurriness, in fact he found he could notice alterations in colour all the easier. He was no longer distracted by unnecessary minutia. He found such clarity in his fog.

From the distance an owl called. Night was deepening, all the city asleep. He had always loved the sanctuary of the night. He made a guess, not wanting to get Karin involved for selfish reasons, and she still followed him though. He took a roundabout way to where he remembered his own head house to be. He assumed it would be in a similar location, surrounded by similar buildings equipped for similar functions. He was correct. The head house was magnificent, constructed of the smoothest oak and cherry woods. The carving on the supports showed nature scenes, all of which seeming more beautiful in the medium of shining wood. The snow had been pushed aside from the entrance, a few sets of footprints pressed into the new snow.

"We're not going in through the front." Karin exclaimed her voice cracking in the air. She no longer had the energy to keep quiet.

"Don't be stupid," he commented in monotone. He walked up the three ice crystalline front steps and bean walking down the wrap-around elevated walkway. She followed growing ever impatient. He stopped before the second window to the end. Through Lavender curtains haphazardly closed, candlelight shone. Karin thought she could feel the warm light from all the way at the end of the walkway. She floated closer, like a moth to a flame.

Inside the room a girl slept. She had forgotten to extinguish the white candle on her nightstand. It burned low, the wax spilling over the brass holder and hardening on the wooden surface. The flame, near its end, still leant light to see the girl's face. She was pretty, with soft features and long silky dark hair; apparently this was a standard in Konoha, and Karin scowled.

"What's your plan genius?" She inevitably exploded, treating him as she eventually did all the others. It just took an hour or two longer with him.

"You should wake her up," he suggested as if it were obvious.

"What why me?" Karin demanded. She did not want to deal with another version of the flower shop girl at the moment.

"Because there is a chance she'll recognize me, he explained, "You'll take her off her guard."

"That's stupid." She huffed.

"Then leave." He shrugged.

"Fine." She spat stepping back, she pulled a kunai from the side and threw in into the window, fast she stared at Sasuke. He didn't even blink. When she did the window was solid once more and the girl still curled in her covers.

"Now that you've got that out of your system, try again," he stated smoothly. She hated when he got her like that. She stepped toward the window with a steadier mind. She rapped on the window. The girl did not stir. She tapped her fingers against the side of her thigh, where the kunai was.

"I don't know what you want me to do?" Karin shrugged. Sasuke didn't answer. He just watched her, this was after all another test. Always with the tests. Karin hated many things about that man. So, maybe in defiance, she turned a smirk on her mouth. She was going to utilize that front door.

The door was intimidating, taller than necessary and heavy. It was laced she could tell with sealants, she could sense them, but she didn't dare return to him. Could you imagine his face? She tapped her bottom lip thinking how to open an unopenable door. Suigetsu would have probably been more help, he could've dropped into a puddle and slid beneath the door. He probably would have frozen solid and used, most literally, as a doormat until spring came or someone broke his icy form apart. What a delightful thought.

The door began to creak open, Karin instinctively jumped back, ducking behind a decorative shrub. The girl appeared, her eyes reflecting the lantern light. She looked like a dream, stepping out into thin crystalline snow with bare toes. Karin blinked in disbelief. The Hyuga girl drifted past her and turned with the walkway to where Sasuke would be waiting. Karin lowered herself further, spreading her fingers on the ground. She pounced, unsuccessfully containing her battle cry, tackling the girl who promptly crumpled to the ground. Sasuke watched, his exhalation curling through the crisp air.

Karin caught her own breath, her bravado fading when Sasuke said nothing. Sasuke walked toward the girls. He bent and pulled the Hyuga over his right shoulder, not acknowledging Karin or her actions prior. He set off back once more to the Hyuga walls. Jugo might have been better for this mission, he could have carried her with such ease. Sasuke, although strong, was not incredibly such, and was already weakened by the cold. The girl's dead weight wore on him, but he ignored it. He was so close to being done, he could function for another few hours.

"So, who is this?" Karin asked. She liked knowing names, it was empowering to know the most basic personal details of a stranger.

"Hyuga Hinata," Sasuke answered.

"How are we going to get her through the streets without anyone noticing?" Karin asked.

"It should be dark enough." He replied shortly.

"You get so lazy when you are tired. She looks like a dead body, all it takes is one person to notice and they'll know someone took her, and anybody in the ranks would recognize a description of you in a heartbeat," she lectured.

He reasoned aloud, "Her reputation would be maintained if they knew she was kidnapped."

"You don't care about that, ours would be damaged," she retorted.

"You knocked her out. You can't say anything," Sasuke told her.

"We can take her somewhere, wait for her to wake up, I bet those real seedy bar hotels wouldn't blink an eye over you bringing a passed out girl into a room."

"I thought you were concerned with reputation," Sasuke chided, readjusting Hinata on his shoulder.

"Pretend you're from out of town and she's your girlfriend who drank too much. I'll meet you at the room's window and we can rest and wait. We can't make it back to the hideout like this, never mind avoiding detection." This is why he choose her, she could keep his pride in check.

They took a backroad to the 'undesirable district'. Konoha's recent urban growth had attracted the downtrodden attracted to the possibility of attaining a better life, except the gravity of poverty has wicked strength. Karin hopped onto a shingled roof of hotel with a neon 'vacancy' sign flickering in the dirty window, as if it hadn't been cleaned following installation. It was a small establishment, probably flaunting a max of twenty rooms. Across the window painted in vibrant green calligraphy arched the words 'Inn of Sin'. Karin watched Sasuke readjust Hinata before entering.

The foyer was just as decrepit. A curly headed woman was smoking at the front desk. A broom sat in the corner collecting dust and cobwebs. The woman arched her eyebrows at Sasuke, who didn't have to say a word before the woman slid a small key across the table, her finger nails flawless emeralds. He turned to climb the rickety steps, feeling the gaze of the curly headed woman burning him.

Room 201 was written across masking tape stuck to the key. He opened the door and dust fell from the door frame. He closed the door behind him. The room was small, a twin bed and nightstand greeted him. A shadeless lamp stood on the floor next to a bare chair. 'Inn rules' were posted in a frame hanging across from the bed including 'no children', 'no pets', 'no open flames'. He was momentarily entertained that children and pets could be likened to open flame.

After stopping into a 24 hour convenience center for refreshments, she folded into a bench outside of the bar located across from the inn. She picked at the handle of the plastic bag in her lap. Karin watched his signature move about the building and into a room. She descended to the window sill, the glass already slid all the way open. Her and her plastic bag tumbled into the room as the wood gave away beneath her footing. After collecting herself, she sat on the bed next to Hinata. How hard did she hit the girl? Or maybe she simply was not as tough as Sasuke thought. She was built soft, but still had the muscles of an average shinobi. Karin was not impressed. Sasuke sat in the wooden chair, looking like he did not plan on movement anytime soon. She approached him, giving him exactly half the contents of the plastic bag. In silence they ate corner-store bagels and sipped cool canned coffee.

"I'll take first watch." Sasuke determined. Karin couldn't complain. She curled up beneath the blankets, facing away from Hinata, who lay on her back stands of hair strewn across her face. Sasuke relaxed into the chair and focussed on the rhythmic sound of his own breath. When his shift had passed he chose not to wake Karin. He was capable of remaining alert. A mouse crawled from beneath the bed, its nose twitching, eyes glinting at Sasuke through the dim. It approached him, nails clicking on the wooden floor. Sasuke watched the creature without interest. When the mouse realized he was going to be given no food it scampered off into a hole in the wall to the right of him.

Hinata lay very still atop the musty blankets. She steadied her breathing and kept her eyes shut tight. Fear felt like poison in her veins, targeting her stomach and triggering an intense nausea. She was trained well, however, and was able to maintain some level of composure. She pretended to sleep, mimicking her younger self when her parents had heard the sounds of her training in her room at night and came to check on their daughter. How she used to scrambled into her sheets at the sound of their footsteps. She had gotten better at it. People always get better at lying with age.

Sasuke caught her in her lie, though, he made no motion to notify her of his knowledge. He watched to see how she would deal with the situation. Hinata squirmed a bit, as if experiencing a bad dream, and rolled over. She rolled right into Karin, whom she hadn't known was there. Karin jolted up, her hair ruffled and clinging unattractively to the sides of her face. Hinata cuddled closer to Karin pretending to appreciate the warmth. Karin panicked, tangled in rough sheets and spilt onto the floor with a thud at three curse words. Sasuke blinked at the girls. Karin stomped, breathless, toward Sasuke.

"You were supposed to wake me." Sasuke didn't answer, he didn't believe in supposed tos, they are imperative to judgement, like alcohol.

Karin paused pursing her lips, her eyes still laced with sleep, "Fine, well should we wake her?"

Sasuke stood up in response. He was curious to know how far she would drag out her facade.

"We need to restrain her first," he murmured. He kept his eyes on Hinata, he knew she was listening. He wanted her to hear, the softness of his voice was only to induct ignorance.

He walked to the side of the bed, pulling wire from his pocket, he unwound the adequate amount from the spool before cutting it with his teeth and retuning the spool to his pocket. He leaned forward, reaching across her and lifting her wrist. She stayed limp, but her heart raced. If she was going to move, she had to now. She wanted to cry. She wanted Naruto to save her, like how she had imagined so many times. She felt the moments pass, each more painful than the next. No matter what she did, she thought, it would be over soon. She remembered last week when she had woken early to do herself up, wearing new clothes and practicing a smile in the mirror to meet Naruto in his office. He inspired such hope by calling her there, but she supposed Naruto was right in denying her application to join the ANBU considering.

Sasuke tied her wrists and then her ankles, waiting for her to spring to life. Karin hung over his shoulder in anticipation. Hinata made no motion to wake, so Karin stepped forward and slapped her straight across her face. Hinata exhaled and opened her eyes. The boy, he was Naruto's friend, the one he had the entire genin squad pursuing when they were children. Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest, the Hyuga eyes always made him a shade uncomfortable, he supposed it had something to do with his heritage.

"I need to speak with you." He said, sharingan activated. He was too tired to use genjutsu unless in emergency, but it was an intimidation tactic. Hinata arms broke into goosebumps, unshed tears filled her lungs and she gasped.

"Karin, step out for a moment," he commanded. Karin pulled the sheet off the bed and in a fluid motion wrapped it around herself. She shuffled into the hall, slamming the door behind her.

Hinata pulled herself up and turned to sit facing the Uchiha, her bound feet just touching the floor, and waited for him to speak. She knew, after all, he was not one to tell her anything oh his intention through desperate questions on her part. Her face was a mask, with eyes painted shut; Hinata wouldn't look into his eyes for anything.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, "I only have something to offer you." The two sat in silence. Sasuke was shuffling the dialog he had prepared for Neji to suit Hinata. "You've grown strong, your abilities are valuable, and you should join us."

Hinata smiled, "I haven't grown strong, I'm still exactly as you would remember me. Return me to my family, there is no use in persisting."

Sasuke ignored her, "Your clan has kept you in the shadows all these years, don't you think it's time for you to step into the light." He lifted her face up, placing two fingers beneath her chin. Her eyes opened, but she kept them trained to the side, fixated on a dent hallway up the wall the bed was pushed up against.

"Nobody here believes in you, there is something to be said of worldly experience. To leave the village like I have, like Naruto did. It is an enlightening embrace such a separation. Nobody would have to know where you have gone, unless you wished them to."

"I would be a missing nin, to betray my family. I could never do it."

"Of course you can. You can do anything you want. Make a decision for once for yourself, by yourself. Live on your own terms."

"You only want me to work for you." Hinata accused, shrugging her shoulders.

"Of course, but you are not obligated to. You are free to leave at any time, but I think you would find the work rewarding."

"What kind of work?" she asked.

"We intercept weapons merchants, destroy chemical engineering factories. Prevent nations from stepping on each other's toes, but you'd have already known all this if Naruto had let you join ANBU. He's still as blind as ever." Sasuke concluded. He was closing in, he could feel her relaxing. He only had to remember to make no sudden movements, like when hunting any other creature.

"Why me?" Hinata asked, her voice small.

"Because you're an outsider. You are wise and strong. Konoha, even under Naruto, hasn't appreciated you. They are all caught up in themselves. You're slipping between the cracks." His lack of animation as he spoke was becoming increasingly off putting.

Hinata bit her lip, withheld tears filling her to the brim with sadness. They began to shine through her eyes.

"You're lying." She breathed, the words spoken only to comfort herself. She knew he didn't lie. Naruto had said Sasuke was too proud to lie, and besides she had been thinking the same things for the last few years now.

Sasuke said nothing, but deactivated his sharingan and her face morphed to watercolours due to his vision. Her eyes flicked to his when she felt his chakra shift. They were sad, lonely, angel eyes.

Her mind was racing. She imagined being a small child running through fields of sunflowers with her mother. It was her happy place. She held her breath. The decision: she could see her life entirely staying in Konoha, it was lovely. She imagined another life, one on his team. It seemed to belong to a stranger. She felt like a stranger tied up, wire cutting into her skin. She felt like she was standing at a cliffs edge looking down into the bay, bound by a perverse desire to jump, and so she did.

"I will," her voice betrayed her and shattered upon meeting musty air. She covered her mouth.

Sasuke nodded, "Karin and I will meet you in the small fishing town across the Naruto bridge tonight." He said in monotone. He the exited into the hall.

Hinata heard their voices distorted through the thin walls and then distancing footsteps. They had left her tied up. "A test?" she thought. She worked the wire behind her back loosening it until she could contort her hands out of the bind. She bent down and snapped the wire with her hands. Around each of her ankles and wrists were thin red lines of broken skin. Beads of blood grew from the lines, she whipped them away without thinking and blood smeared across her pale skin. On her journey home she was only accompanied by an orange sunrise - The kind that sets glistening snow on fire. She had to close her eyes while taking back streets and rooftops. The light was so bright, but she had memory to guide her. The snow burned her bare feet, but she couldn't risk being seen, she had no answers for any questions. The front door of her home was a jar and she tiptoed back to her room where she slid down the wall to bury her face safely into her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

The late morning light wore on Hinata; she felt simultaneous dread and excitement, which took quite a toll on her stomach. She couldn't bring herself to eat the breakfast she prepared for herself and sister (a parfait and hot tea). She did manage to drink the tea, but burnt her tongue in the endeavour. She sat across from her sister, tongue stinging, and hands wrapped around a brittle floral cup.

"You look like hell." Hanabi announced stirring a large mound of honey into her tea.

Hinata nodded, "I had a restless sleep."

Hanabi squinted at Hinata, "You better not be upset with me. You told me it was fine for me to accept."

She smiled brightly, "Of course not," Hinata's voice broke, "it had nothing to do with you."

Hanabi quipped, "Of course not. Silly me." She set her silver spoon on the bare wood of the table. Tea pooled beneath it.

They sat in silence for the remainder of the meal. Hanabi ate more than her share, as per usual. Hinata poked at her own. Soon, she rose to collect empty plates and soiled utensils. Her sleeve bunched up as she reached across the table towards the tea pot, revealing a thin, inflamed wound. Hanabi pretended not to notice. Hinata couldn't help but blush. Hanabi excused herself, as she had a full day of work as the head of family ahead of her.

Hinata proceeded to wash the dishes in the kitchen sink, rather than fetch a servant to do it for her. There was something relaxing in the ease of domestic chores. Hinata felt she was exceptionally well suited to them. It was the only realm where she was entirely confident in her skill. Of course, over the years she had developed a sureness in herself, other's had commented on it, but she felt like her skills paled in comparison to so many others. Take Naruto for an example. He had fulfilled his dream in becoming Hokage. Hinata was embarrassed by the pride she felt for him. He was so strong though, and brave, and so happy, like rays of summer sunlight. But it was winter. The stresses of responsibility have worn on him, he still radiates life, only less frequently. Hinata liked to think this was only an attempt on his part to appear a professional amount of serious.

The sink overlooked the courtyard. Cold air was slipping from between the frame and white washed walls. Two of her young distant cousins were roughhousing in the fresh snow, of which they tossed at each other. She could hear their screeches of joy through the pane. As a child she hardly participated in such exploits, it was not dignified. She retreated into memories of their academy days. She remembered them fondly, despite being neither the most popular or most talented. Much of her childhood had revolved around Naruto, and perhaps to become full grown she would have to leave him behind, wrapped in his political documents and other, more beautiful, women. For a moment she was breathless and the beginnings of tears stung her eyes. Her burnt tongue felt numb and limp in her mouth. How silly, to be so sentimental, she thought. The thing about goodbyes is their tendency to be unexpected and unsavory. She needed to accept that the last time she would see Naruto would be in his denial of her prowess in not permitting her to join ANBU.

She was drying a white clay plate with a stripped hand towel. Somehow the dish slipped from her hands and crashed to the ground. White splinters flew into the air and caught the midday light, like snow. Hinata blinked at the mess, hand towel suspended in sudden uselessness. She folded the towel and placed it on the counter. With pale bare feet she stepped over the brokenness and walked back to her room, leaving it behind her. Back in her room she settled onto her neat bed. She wondered for a moment how she ended up in that grimy hotel room. I didn't really matter.

She caught her reflection in the mirror across from the bed. Her long hair looked like navy ink spilt across her shoulders, down her front. She rose, her eyes unblinking. A pair of silver scissors lay in the vanity drawer. She hadn't used them in forever. She sat at the vanity and retrieved the item, careful in her movements. The scissors were elaborate in their decoration; vines and small flowers were embossed on the handles by an expert hand. The design pressed uncomfortably into the divot between her thin thumb and fingers. Pretty but unpractical. She ran her fingers through her long hair from beginning to end one last time. Oh how many times had she wished Naruto to do such a thing. With a breath and decisive pressure on the scissor's handles she cut the first strand of hair to just brush her collarbone.

Ino's voice sprung into her thoughts, "You would look so cute with a side part, you know, it's very trendy. I'd do it, but my hair is too heavy." Ino always had suggestions to enhance Hinata's appearance. She knew, of course, that Ino meant only the best, but she was a sensitive soul and couldn't help interpreting the suggestions as criticism.

Hinata had dismissed the idea in the past, because trendy was not her priority. On a whim she brushed her hair back, part cut and uncut, and pulled more of her hair to the left. The angle sharpened her features. Perfect. When she had finished she left the remnants of hair stream around the vanity. The darkness of the hair stood out with violence in her pale lavender and white room. She pulled on her ninja uniform, dark pants and lavender jacket and closed the door to her bedroom one last time.

She walked down the hall, sandaled feet breaking the din. Hanabi would be out learning the fullness of responsibility associated with the head of clan, so it was empty except for her. What a big house to have to one's self. "Well", Hinata thought, "Hanabi always has been a lover of excess."

It was now midafternoon. She, huddled into herself, crossed the courtyard to the expansive greenhouse. The thing was made of panels of polishes glass and wrought iron embellished supports. This had become one of her favorite places. She smiled as she remembered showing her pride to Kida, who though uninterested, indulged her. She suspected the plethora of smells were overwhelming to him. His nose had been crinkled the entire time. To her, the scent of the place was just comfortably potent, and upon entering she inhaled fully.

The humidity made her skin sticky, but it was lovely. She wandered toward her target, taking time to check on her sunflowers and tomatoes. Rosemary was her target. She would have preferred lavender, but she had used the last of it last week. Besides, 'Rosemary for remembrance' was a nice thought. She clipped a small bundle from a larger bush of the herb. Between two fingers she carried the gift. With her left hand and mouth she tied a white ribbon around the stalks. She tucked it into the safety of her pocket.

She exited the compound, offering a small wave to the guards. They seemed to be momentarily thrown by her altered appearance. She felt a surge of nausea at the attention. She had never been a fan of lingering eyes. The streets of Konoha were now mostly clear. A few genins were still bent over shovels, a couple propped against snowbanks, drained by their efforts. The sky was cloudless and the watery winter sun offered no warmth. She shoved her hands into her pockets, wrapping her left one around the soft rosemary. She bent her face down against the cutting winter air.

The graveyard was empty, unless counting the ravens which dotted the spindly oak trees. People had been there though; footprints of various shapes and sizes marked paths to those fallen nin. She tread lightly toward Neji. Her cheeks and nose dyed pink by the cold. A dark mass caught her eye from the distance. Someone had left something for him. She attributed Lee to the thing. Tenten, although in love with the fallen man, hardly seemed to leave such sentiments. Approaching nearer she noted the details of the gift; a wreath, dusted with morning snow, of pine and shining red berries. She smiled at its beauty. She pulled her gift out of her pocket, she brought it to her mouth and kissed it. She bent, her left knee cracked, and rested the rosemary so it was leaning in the very center of the wreath. She stood for at least a few minutes, her head bent, eyes closed, and a bittersweet whisper of a smile on her mouth. She then turned, feeling an incredible degree of peaceful. She always did after coming here. A raven called from an oak tree. The sun was falling lower and lower into the sky.

She figured she should head out. Or at least head that direction, not that she would be particularly sad if Sasuke proved impatient and had left the fishing village. She passed through familiar streets, past familiar faces. Her heart skipped a beat as she passed Ichraku's. A pair of orange clad legs extended beyond the curtains. He never wore orange anymore, but still.

She entered the final stretch. The village gate rose before her at a dizzying pace. Those tall red gates became all she could see. Suddenly, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, it's been so long. You look different." Such a deep harsh voice. He laughs. Kiba.

She didn't even see his face. He spun her, his hand pressing into her arm, into an all-encompassing hug. The soft fabric of her jacket's lining was rough against her tender wrists. She inhaled the earthiness of him, and her laughter was muffled by his chest. He pulled away in a second, but held her at arm's length, bending forward slightly to examine her face.

"You're gotten so pretty." He said, and she was hit with a whiff of sake breath. He touched a strand of her short hair, rolling it between his fingers. She was struck by a sudden melancholy. She brought her hand up to rest on his cheek. Warm, almost too much so.

"So have you," she smiled.

Kiba smiled back a moment, before becoming defensive, "I'm not pretty, I'm handsome. I'm a man. A strong one too." He puffed out his chest and hit a fist against it.

"I see," Hinata chuckled, out of habit raising a hand to cover her mouth to hide the action. She added, "But you are also a drunk man."

He swayed, dismissing her accusation with a wave, "just temporary." (But of course, so is handsomeness). His drunkenness was becoming more evident by the second.

Hinata, before really thinking, grabbed a hold of his arm. "Let me walk you home then."

"I can walk myself. Akamaru's waiting. He's old now, but he'll still come look for me if I'm gone too long. He's a good boy." His face dropped. Hinata had never seen him more heartbroken in her entire life.

"I know," she consoled.

The pair walked arm in arm. Silent in the sunset. Kiba was hunched in drunken lethargy. Hinata cherished the moments.

At the fishing village, in a quaint bar, a team of four shared a booth. Karin sat beside Sasuke, across from Jugo and Suigetsu. Jugo and Sasuke modest in their appetites, only had plain rice and tea. Karin indulged in the most expensive meal, a stylish meat dish. Suigetsu ate like a child. He decided to order only off the dessert menu.

"So someone's hunting you," Suigetsu clarified, his voice muffled by the atrocity of food shoved in his mouth.

Sasuke nods, "And I have other things to take care of. You and Karin will track them down and bring her to me."

"I can't just kill 'em? Sasuke you sure like to challenge me." He wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his hands.

"You and Jugo sure spend a lot of time together," Suigetsu chides.

He hardly finishes his statement, before a flustered Karin sprung up and slapped him hard across the face, "How dare you suggest such a thing!"

"What did I suggest, Karin"? He looks up at her by raised brow. She plops back to the plastic bench in a huff and red face. Sasuke sips his tea, undisturbed by the scene.

Back at Konoha the pair reach the Inuzuka compound. There was never any gate or guards, just a large snoozing dog that was sometimes brown, black, white, or any mixtures tones. In this moment there was a reddish beast, greying round the muzzle. It opened its eyes, and upon recognizing Kiba promptly returned to sleep.

Hinata let go of Kiba's arm. It was so unlike her, but she rose on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked at her through heavy lidded eyes. Sadness tore through her, but she had made her decision. Her first decision for herself that didn't require permission from somebody else, so of course it was going to hurt. She would never be completely herself here. Here, in Konoha, she would always be haunted by her status and bashful reputation. Kiba leaned in. She started back to reality. Her face erupted into flame and she dropped away from him. He gazed at her with far away eyes.

"You're good from here?" She asked, bringing her hands together before her chest. She touched her pointer fingers together in old habit.

He nodded, dropping most evidence of drunkenness. He turned and begun shuffling down the dirt path into the compound, raising his arm in farewell. She watched him disappear into the dark, letting finality sink in.

She turned. Excitement seemed to have abandoned her. It was replaced by a sharp misery; yet, such a feeling did not deter her. She was familiar with the emotion and to stay would ensure her acquaintance with it. It was about time she took a chance. The red village gates were now cast in heavy shadow. Bright lights lined the tall city walls. With an unusual air of confidence, she walked through them, exhaling into the winter air. She checked out on the sheet with the guards. She signed her sister's name by whim. It's not like the guard would know the difference. Hinata knew it was a transparent lie, Hanabi had a solid alibi, but the easiness of it was freeing.

She began her trek through the cold dark. She knew travelling during night, was not the wisest, but she had already gone and feared if she returned she might never leave. An owl cooed at her, its eyes gleamed in the dark. Her eyes gleamed as well, only she did not know this. A nasty wind picked up as she entered a clearing. The sharpness of it cut her thoughts to nothingness and she blindly walked forward. The stone sign of the bridge rose before her. The sea was choppy and black. She tilted her eyes to the moon. It was a perfect half.

A figure approached from across the bridge. A man appeared, tall and cloaked in ivory that matched his hair. A large sword was fastened to his back. He grinned at her revealing pointed teeth. She ignored him, staring forward, past him. Her foot slid from beneath her. The concrete was coated by sheer ice. She felt stupid by not noticing the gleam prior, but her reflexes prevented an ungraceful spill. The man stepped in front of her. She looked up at him without raising her chin. Her eyes determined and clear as winter air.

"You need i.d. to cross this bridge," the man smiled, "Papers please."

Hinata ducked to the side as he stuck. They slid away from each other. Hinata's lower center of gravity proved helpful. The man wavered on his spot. He flashed a wicked grin and started forward brandishing his weapon. Hinata ducked again. He swiped again and again. One hit and she was dead, Hinata knew, but she kept flickering out of the way of his aim. She was waiting for him to make a mistake. She needed to be close range, and the weapon he wielded was not friendly to her fighting style.

He stopped, resting the blade on his shoulders. "What are you doing?" She rushed forward, with a simple kunai gotten from the holster round her thigh. He swung his sword, but her low angle did not permit for a hit. She slid low slicing his leg. His leg burst into clear liquid and formed together just as quick. Hinata was not fazed; she'd seen stranger. She swung behind him hitting the back of his neck. He turned and caught her hand with his right. He squeezed her wrist with iron strength. She brought her knee to his groin. He flinched, but tried to bring the sword above his head. His eyes widened. He could not raise it. He released her wrist to grab his own, trying to lift his own arm. Hinata brought her palm in a harsh movement to his forehead. He dropped. She ran across to the other end of the bridge, her feet ignoring the ice.

Karin leaned against the exit of the bridge. She was smiling. Seeing Suigetsu in pain was so pleasurable, she thought. Sasuke was back in the hotel, doing whatever he did. She never asked what he did when by himself. Maybe laundry. He did always seem to smell nice, which was unusual for male nin. The girl ran past her. She stopped to catch her breath, bent by resting her hands on her knees. She ran fingers through her short hair. Short. Karin smirked. She wondered if an identity crisis had driven her to such action.

Hinata turned to her, caution in her eyes. "That was a test?" A statement in question form, so like her.

Karin nodded. She would fit in well here. She approached the girl. She hadn't noticed in their prior encounter, but the girl was an inch or so shorter than her. She murmured, "Follow me." And adjusted her glasses before beginning forward.

"What about the man who attacked me?" Hinata asked. Her demure cuteness annoyed Karin.

"What about him?" She snapped.

"If he's a part of the team shouldn't you not leave him out in the cold?"

Karin rolled her eyes, but turned. Sasuke wouldn't want to lose the asset, the aggression of the man could be useful. His stupidness too. It was easier to manipulate him compared to most nin. The pair started across the bridge in heavy silence.

"What a stupid name for a bridge," Karin offered to the quiet.

Laughter burst from Hinata. A broken hearted kind of laughter. Karin shut up for the rest of the way to the crumpled heap that was Suigestsu. The boy was out completely, mouth hanging loose, hair cast across his closed eyes. Karin, used to dealing with unconscious bodies, walked round to his head. She lifted him by locking her arms under his. She looked from Hinata to Suigetsu's sword. Hinata promptly attempted to lift it. She couldn't. Each girl was dragging a thing down the bridge. It was a painstaking pace.

"Won't it look strange to carry a limp body through the streets?" Hinata asked.

Karin paused, considering the girl's point. "Yes," she answered, flicking her head to control her mass of hair. "But it's late, there's like three hundred people in this town. Worst comes to worst we can kill them all." She watched Hinata for a response.

Hinata frowned, but said nothing.

They shuffled further down the bridge. "This is stupid," Karin proclaimed.

Hinata nodded, "We could try and wake him up. Splash him with water or something."

"I could hit him," Karin suggested.

"That might be counterproductive," Hinata pointed.

When they reached the end of the bridge Karin moved to drop him on the pavement. Hinata suggested they rest him on one of the many benches lining the shore. Karin didn't really care, and let the girl have her way. Hinata stepped down to the shore. She bent scooping water into her hands. The blackness of the ocean was foreboding. She walked back to the bench, droplets of water slipping between her cupped hands. She proceeded to splash the remainder on Suigetsu's face. The man spluttered alive.

"God that's disgusting." He spat ocean water from his mouth. He noticed Hinata standing, smiling, at him. He lunged forward, tackling the poor girl to the ground. She blinked at him. He reached for his sword, little emotion on his face, but the sword was not there. His eyes widened. He grabbed her shoulder and knocked her into the sandy ground. Karin was extraordinarily amused.

"What did you do with it? Give it back." He demanded, his lips furling in anger.

"Ask her," Hinata slighted her head to the right. Suigetsu followed her movement and noticed Karin. He immediately jumped off Hinata and stalked toward his teammate.

"What the Fuck!" He yelled, "Who the hell is she?" He thrust an arm toward Hinata, who was still lying on the ground gazing at the sky. She sat up, at his action.

"She's a new recruit, Sasuke used you to test her," Karin explained, a smirk playing across her lips.

"Fuck Sasuke!" Suigetsu cradled his forehead.

"Better tell that to his face," Karin airily suggested.

"I have," cried Suigetsu, "He doesn't give a shit!" Karin shrugged. Hinata stood, dusting herself off.

"Your weapon's over there," Hinata said pointing next to the bench. Suigetsu, glaring at Hinata, stomped to the weapon, swung it over his shoulder and stalked away from them.

Karin looked at Hinata, "He's a sore loser," She smiled, turning and beginning in the same direction. Hinata chuckled, covering her mouth with her hands. They smelt of sea water. She followed Karin into cobbled streets.

The town, though dark, was inviting. The buildings were set close together, and tall, creating a sense of safety in their nearness. The streets were well kept, Hinata hadn't spotted a single streak of graffiti or litter. They walked three or four blocks, tuning through thin streets, climbing up and down flights of worn cobble. Suigetsu disappeared behind the solid iron door of a basement suit to a small housing complex. Karin followed next, she looked up and down the street before entering. Hinata followed suit.

The interior was barren. A few chairs had been arranged around a wide table of the open space. Above the table swung a naked bulb. A small galley kitchen, set across from the entrance, was decorated only be a silver kettle resting on the stove top. Four doors lined the other two interior walls. A red haired man was sitting at the table, facing the door. His arms crossed and head knocked forward in sleep. Neither Karin nor Suigetsu moved to wake him.

Karin began, "You'll share a room with me tonight. We leave early. Do what you want with that information." She disappeared into the furthest room on the left.

Suigetsu cast an empty glance at Hinata before entering the room beside Karin's. He turned sideways to pass through the frame without altering his grip on the sword. The silence of the place clattered in her ears. Alone with her thoughts, her actions caught up to her. Giddiness surged in her, and she laughed out loud. The red haired man opened his eyes, only to close them immediately. Hinata covered her mouth with her hand and entered Karin's room. Karin was perched on the edge combing her crimson hair. Hinata touched her short inky strands. She mused, "What a life, however long, I have to look forward to."

 _Author's Note: I've never written a fight scene, so feedback would be appreciated. I struggled with how to end this for so long, so maybe it's not supposed to end quite yet? I'm unsure, but at least for now this is the end. I hope it entertained you._


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata slept like a dream. When she awoke she lay still for a while, staring into the darkness. The building was humming. The pipes between the walls were clattering. It was strange, Hinata thought, for there to be such noise at night. In the Hyuga compound the most common thing was silence, punctuated only by wind carrying crinkling leaves or sharp snow; depending on the season.

Karin was curled into herself. Her breathing was heavy; a near snore. Hinata didn't think she snored. Nobody had ever told her so. Her teammates hadn't. Kiba Hadn't. Kiba, she thought, it broke her heart to have to see him on the verge of loss. Akamaru was everything to him. Time was pulling them apart. Damn time, she thought.

A light flicked on outside the door. A set of feet cast shadows through the artificial light. Hinata brought the covers over her head. Her thin fingers clutched the hem. She didn't want the night to end. The air beneath the blanket was thickening and soon her lungs demand fresh oxygen. She emerged from her hideaway and inhaled the freshness of cooler air. She heard water boiling from the kitchen. She remembered the shining silver kettle. A cup of tea would be perfect about now, she admitted. With movements like syrup she pulled herself from the covers. The floor was like ice. She brought her hand to her hair and combed through it.

In the kitchen Sasuke had his tired eyes trained on his reflection in the silver tea kettle. It was a blur. Everything was. Steam rose from the spout and clung to his face. It whistled, which woke up Suigetsu. Suigetsu shrugged into the doorway. Resting against the frame he asked, "Why so early?" He rubbed his eyes not expecting an answer. Sasuke obliged, just so. His throat was still too rusted by sleep and he knew his voice would tear through him. Suigetsu shuffled across the floor and dropped into one of the solid chairs encircling the table. Sasuke began pouring his tea ignoring the intruder. The cup matched the kettle in colour and texture. Except there was a small dent contorting the bottom of the cup, so it rocked against the counter. Sasuke picked up the cup with two hands and pulled it close to his chest. He leaned back against the counter and stared into his blurry world and sipped the scalding liquid. Suigetsu began to snore. His forehead was flat against the wooden table top. He would surely awake with a red mark pressed into his skin.

Hinata heard the whistling of the kettle too, except unlike Suigetsu, the sound discouraged her from entering the common area. The promise of confrontation caused apprehension and she chewed her bottom lip.

Sasuke, done with his tea, rinsed the cup in a sink bearing the beginnings of decay. The rust stung his senses. He could taste it. He used distance as a solution and walked to the room across from the girls'. He knocked his knuckles against it once. Jugo answered. His eyes were clean and his air decent. He returned to his post at the table, which happened to be to the right of the sleeping Suigetsu.

Karin had begun to drool. Hinata stretched out her arm and knocked her palm against the sleeping girl's shoulder. Karin grumbled. Hinata repeated her action and Karin's eyes opened. She scratched her back and trudged out of the room in a dishevelled state. She left the door a jar. Hinata rose and followed, all the while smoothing her hair with her palms. Hinata had always been so conscious of her appearance. It's not that she thought herself particularly pretty, but she had been trained to value a tidy appearance.

The light from such a small source caught in the dusty air. It looked like a dream, Hinata thought, but his voice was clear.

"We have intel of a caravan carrying plans for weapons. Its destination is the wind village," he said, "We will ensure it does not reach them." Sasuke rolled a world map across the table. He drew a line from a small Lighting town to the wind village with his pointer finger. He tapped halfway through the imaginary line. "We will intercept them here." He looked into each of the four faces. "Karin, Suigetsu, I need you to stay here." At these words Karin promptly stood, the legs of her chair made an awful sound at the sudden friction, and shut herself back into her room. Suigetsu was alert, with red forehead and mussed hair, but became distracted at the news of his exclusion. He began looking about the room. Sasuke held himself in silence for a moment. Karin had been with him long enough to not really care about respecting him at all times. He played with the idea of disciplining her. Perhaps she would enjoy a series of grunt tasks. She hated grocery shopping. It made her feel too domestic.

Hinata shifted in her seat. Sasuke looked at her for the first time. She was just to his left. He examined her profile, framed by soft waves of uncombed hair. She felt his eyes on her. She turned and met his gaze. Sasuke looked away. Those eyes still got to him. They disturbed him to some degree, mostly because they could compete with his own; he wouldn't admit this to himself though.

Hinata looked across the table to Jugo, who didn't break his gaze from Sasuke. Hinata followed his gaze. Sasuke was staring down at the map. His eyes were too wide. He snapped up. "Jugo and Hinata, we leave in fifteen." He nodded in conclusion.

Jugo smiled at her with closed eyes, "You can use the bathroom first."

Hinata blushed, her first instinct had been to argue. She never liked going first, but time did not permit indulgence of such habit. So she stood, and turned without a word and left. She should shower. And she did. She turned the water just a little too hot, and burned her skin. When she emerged from the shower in a mist, her skin was rose coloured and her hair appeared darker. The marks around her wrists had tightened with scabs, which cracked in the process of redressing. A small amount of blood feathered out from the broken places.

She wore her lavender jacket and blue cut-offs. She needed a new outfit to complete her transition, but it would have to do. With eight minutes left she spun out of the room. She stood, without place, in the room. One minute went by, but to Hinata the moment felt like forever. Sasuke had disappeared. She assumed into his own room. To calm her nerves she took to washing the few dishes that lay on the counter top. Suigetsu left them there. Syrup and crumbs clung to the plates. Hinata filled the rusted sink. The rust could probably be cleaned off, she thought, maybe when I'm back I'll try my hand at cleaning it. The dish soap was commercial, but the smell still grounded Hinata.

"Karin will do that," Sasuke said from his doorway. His voice was steady. He was so sure.

Hinata turned in mild surprise. Her sleeves had been rolled up and soapy water dripped from her fingertips onto the tiled floor. But, it was the wire marks that caught his attention. He hadn't thought they would cut into her skin so. She lifted her hands and pressed her pointer fingers together. Suds slid down her forearms and caught on her elbows. Her ankles bore the same marking. She must have struggled more than he remembered.

In his hands was a folded white cloak. Around his shoulders was the same. He stepped toward her, and stopped about a foot before he would collide into her. He offered the thing to her. She wrung her hands in a rough cloth before taking the gift. She held it up and it created a curtain between the two. The material was heavy. It fell to a length that brushed the top of her foot. She heard him step away as she stared into the whiteness she suspended before herself. She adjusted the garment around herself, as Jugo emerged from the washroom. In silence the trio left their unhidden hideout and sleepy comrades behind.

Hinata took in the village by the light of the rising winter sun. The buildings seemed shorter than she had remembered, but still they were crowded together and neat to produce a quaint effect. Early risers began to spill into the streets. Most were the cheery morning type that grinned and waved at the trio, but some were grumbly and kept to themselves. Hinata fell behind the two men, who walked side by side. She distracted herself by people watching. An elderly woman was sweeping the light amount of snow from last night off the stairway leading to an emerald green door. She wore glasses and a cat was sitting next to her, swishing its tail across the cold concrete porch. A young man almost knocked into Sasuke. He was met by a look of disapproval. The unknown man mumbled something as her passed Hinata. He was hunched forward and grinded his teeth. The sound set Hinata's own teeth on edge.

As they passed through the outskirts and entered a spindly forest Sasuke and Jugo broke into a run. Hinata lagged behind due to her late start. They did not slow for her.

At the unhidden hideout Karin dozed atop an unmade bed. Suigetsu had his feet kicked up on the circular table sipping cool tap water. The dry winter weather was murderous. He smirked and nursed his ego, thinking the reason behind his defeat was due to the weakening effect such dryness had on him.

Time passed and they ran until Sasuke stopped and crouched in the branches of an elm tree. Jugo stood tall and broad. Hinata brought her hand to her chest. She hadn't had to run like this in forever. The three waited in silence. The watery rose ever higher. Hinata remained alert, scanning the horizon for the supposed caravan. Sasuke'e eyes kept flicking to her steady face, waiting for a signal. Jugo had befriended a squirrel. The squirrel was nestled into his warm lap. Its tummy rose and fell and Jugo absently ran his index finger along it.

There it was. The caravan entered into Hinata's range of vision just after midday. It was a rickety thing, bumping up and down on uneven wheels. Two people sat outside the car. One driving and the other serving as lookout. Three signatures huddled around a stout table. Playing cards perhaps? Sasuke watched her eyebrows rise in alertness. He himself turned to face the distance, despite his blindness. Hinata held up five fingers. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment. Hinata waited for him to speak. All her life she had depended on other's decisions.

Sasuke looked at her, he said, "Make them stop."

Hinata's heart skipped a beat and a redness tinged her cheeks. Her nerves went wild.

"We have the element of surprise," she reasoned, "what's-"She trailed off. Her eyes would not meet his. She stared into the knot on the trunk of the tree they were perched in instead.

He was a man not much attune to other people's reason and he watched her through dim eyes. Her own eyes hardened faced by such determination. It was contagious, she thought. She hopped down from the tree and brushed her hair behind her ears. The caravan was approaching. There was a hood on the cloak, she pulled in over her head, which it framed attractively. She stepped out into the frozen dirt, huddled into herself and began shuffling forward. She could hear the bumping of the uneven wheels growing ever louder. She could feel the coldness of Sasuke's stare.

She turned and slapped a stupid expression onto her face. She rose her hand towards the approaching party. It lurched to a stop. Harsh and sharp voices emitted from the enclosed section and they questioned the motive for stopping. The lookout was a long nosed man, with deep set eyes and short red hair. Buzz cut. It made his scalp look like a peach. His chakra was volatile. The man holding the reigns was heavy set, hair long and smoothly braided. He had a lopsided face.

The peach-headed man inquired, "What's you doin walkin round here?" The lopsided-faced man just examined Hinata through squinted eyes. Hinata didn't immediately respond and stared up at them, expressionless.

The heavy set one took a shot in the dark, "I bet you she's lost." He smirked at the wisdom of his conclusion.

The peach man slid his eyes toward his comrade before leaning closer and asking, "Anyone lookin for ya?"

Hinata adopted a solemn look and shook her head.

"Didya run away?"

Hinata nodded, communicating regret by her expression.

A slender man with a beer gut burst from the side cavern door to the sound of laments of the other occupants at the cold air he let in. The man had a nasty chakra. It was dense and clammy.

"The hell are you doing, Lee," said the intruder, "I said only one piss break every four hours!" He held up four fingers to exact his point. The intruder felt Hinata's startled gaze and his face broke into a wicked grin.

"Now, who's this?"

"A runaway, sir." The man waved away this response. He kept his eyes on Hinata.

"What's your name girl?"

"Cho Yukimura," she said her voice timid and light.

"Come in from the cold, won't you Cho. I won't have a girl freeze to death on my watch." Hinata stepped toward him. Sasuke was still perched above this scene. She could feel him. Hinata's nervousness began to become very real. She bit her lip.

"Quite good," the man murmured, more so to himself. He waved Hinata in front of him, and rested his hand on her lower back. She could feel his hand through every layer of clothing. It churned her stomach. She lowered her eyes to the ground. Her mind was racing a mile a second. She heard Sasuke drop down behind her. Jugo did not follow. Hinata didn't wait for permission. She unleased her own variant of hell. The man fell limp to the ground. One of the others, a scrawny middle aged woman, tumbled out of the door to confront the fuss. She noticed the man crumpled, drool pooling, onto the frozen ground and her eyes widened. They were emerald green. Her chakra was well-worn. Hinata took her out with a swipe to the head. Meanwhile, Sasuke had dealt with the lopsided and peach-headed men. They had no chance. Sasuke had only brought Jugo as a precaution, as he still sat in the tree, soothing the young squirrel.

A mean elderly man huddled into the corner of the enclosed caravan. He bit his stubby nails. His fingertips were not spared and the choppy skin blead. Some of his own blood got lodged between his generously spaced teeth. Sasuke ducked into the caravan without hesitation. The old man squealed. Sasuke knocked him across the forehead. The man fell face first into an incomplete game of cards that had been strewn across a stout table. Sasuke brushed the cards aside and turned the table on its side. A lock glinted in the din. He cracked it open like an egg. It was dummy locked. Inside a stack of blueprints promised a machine of great destruction. It was some kind of automatic weapon to be filled with iron pellets, which would be fired to tear through human flesh. Sasuke frowned. Anybody could use these things. Lifelong training would no longer be required for an army. Sasuke felt disgust for such corner cutting.

He kept a box of matches in his sleeve. Hinata appeared in the caravan entrance. Her eyes were inquisitive. He offered her the matches. She climbed inside, only a smidge less smooth than he had. She peered into the contents of the box. The blueprints illustrated some kind of machine. Hinata realized it was designed to murder. She took the matches from him. Her fingertips brushed his palm. The box of matches was small and had the logo of some bar printed on it. She struck a match. It didn't light at first. Sasuke watched her motions. When it lit, on the second try, she dropped it onto the stack. The fire took a minute to stick, it curled the edges of the thin paper. Sasuke moved to exit. Hinata was in his way and she blushed in embarrassment, which was hidden by the orange light of the fire.

Sasuke left her there. He expected to be followed. Hinata's eyes were stuck on the friendly fire. She noticed the man slumped in the corner. A stream of blood flowed out his nose. His eyes were wide and locked to the ceiling. She hopped out after a minuet.

"Are you going to wake him up?" She asked.

Sasuke faced away from her, "No."

Hinata stopped in her tracks, her opal eyes wide and lips parted in tragic realization. They were all dead. Why hadn't she noticed before? She glanced around. All five were fading fast. The remnants of chakra slowing and dissolving. The air smelt of death.

It's not that Hinata had never witnessed death, or even killed as a nin, but he had never told her this was an effect of the mission. She blushed at her own ignorance. Of course they had to die. They would know too much. Hinata's heart still tore a little at the seams. It always did at moments like this. She would spend the next day or so meticulously sewing her heart together with justice as her thread.

Jugo's form dropped from the tree, like an oversized acorn dressed in a tawny cloak. He pulled the no longer alive peach headed man over his shoulder. He moved towards the back of the caravan and dumped the corpse in. Hinata watched their faces when they passed her. One a lifeless slump and one live and sturdy. She wondered about Jugo. She had yet to speak with him. She was reminded of Shino. They had a similar air and mannerisms. She wished to know him. She moved to pull the dead and bony middle aged woman over her own shoulder.

Sasuke stopped her with a look, he never touched anyone, and said, "Jugo is on clean up. You need to keep watch and prevent passerbyers." He seemed to look through her as he said this, which triggered mild disgust in Hinata. Her father looked at her like that once his disappointment had turned to indifference.

Hinata straightened her posture under his gaze. She nodded and sprung into the trees. She moved away from the scene patrolling the road. She moved two miles one direction before turning back and moving two miles in the other. As she moved one way she kept her eyes trained into the distance.

A small family unit emerged from the distance. A mother, a father, and their child. All three were civilians, lazy, happy blue chakra twirled about their strong bodies. They smiled at each other through the winter air. The father pulled a sleigh stacked with cloaked boxes secured by worn rope. The mother toted her clear eyed child, who clung to her back nuzzling into its mother's long dark hair.

Hinata's eyes softened at the scene. The stitches in her heart tightened. She couldn't let this family witness the death lying ahead. She dropped down ahead of them. She shoved her hands into her white cloak and lowered her face against the cold air. Her nose and cheeks were plenty pink from the duration of her exposure to such weather. She met them in about a minute she smiled and lifted her hand in greeting. They reciprocated, so she walked toward them.

"It's so cold. Isn't it?" She began with small talk. All she had to do was waste time. She could sense Jugo and Sasuke in the distance. They were nearly done, it seemed.

"Yes, but were used to it here out in the country, right Mae?" His voice was husky. He was probably a smoker. The wife nodded slowly, as to not disturb the now sleeping child wrapped round her neck.

Hinata chuckled unsure of how to push a conversation. "How old?" She asked nodding toward the child

Softly the woman answered, "Three this March." She looked at her child with warm eyes.

Hinata hummed, "My Neji will be two about the same time." She had heard mother's discuss their children before. In Hinata's experience the topic spawned endless conversation.

"They grow up so fast. It feels like yesterday I was still feeling him kick inside my stomach. Now he won't stop asking for a baby sister." The woman laughed without bringing her hand to her mouth. Instead her head tipped back and her toothy smile shone.

"I know what you mean," Hinata offered. The woman bubbled on, the child still out like a light, about babies and motherhood. They stood that way awhile exchanging funny stories and sweet ones, until the father suggest they move along to stay to schedule. Hinata sensed Sasuke in a nearby tree so didn't argue and wished then well.

Sasuke and Jugo did in fact rest in the tree. Sasuke's eyes were closed, but he was not sleeping. He was refocussing himself. His body was weakened still by his time spent last night in the cold. His muscles were wound tight around frozen bone, and he could hardly feel any of his extremities. Jugo had met a new friend. A blue jay had nestled on his shoulder, pressed into the warmth of his neck. Jugo's eyes were open and he smiled at Hinata as she joined the pair on a thick branch.

Sasuke, with his eyes closed, said, "You did well, Hinata. Let's go back." His voice was naturally melodic, but he refused to speak in anything but monotone. Hinata saw his tiredness, but knew do to her experience with male teammates that pointing it out or offering assistance never help. If she decided to help him, she couldn't ask him.

The way back was silent and slower. It began to snow and the wind whipped icy flakes against their faces. Hinata was running on adrenaline, Sasuke on determination, and Jugo on well rested strength. The three reached the village just before dusk. The grey winter sky now a watery orange at the edges. The walk thought the streets was painful. Hinata wanted to run, but this was not appropriate. Only thieves and children run in village streets.

Karin greeted them at the door, or rather she greeted Sasuke. She rested her hands on his shoulders, kneading them back to life. Sasuke let her for a moment before brushing her off and shutting himself into his room. Suigetsu was not in the place. Karin said he was out at a bar or something. He liked girls, too much maybe. Jugo entered the bathroom and soon water was running and steam was seeping from the crack beneath the door. Hinata just stood there, still coming down from her adrenaline induce height.

"Are you slow?" Asked Karin rudely.

"No." Hinata answered. She walked toward the kettle. Karin returned to her spot at the table and bent back into her paperback romance. Hinata ran luke-warm water into the kettle. The tap was larger than the spout so some water ran down and burnt Hinata's cold hands. She set the kettle on the stove and moved to sit across from Karin, resting her cloak on the back of the chair.

"Is it good?" Hinata asked?

"It's hot." Karin replied not taking her eyes off the pages.

Soon enough Jugo transferred from the bathroom to his personal room in a water logged state and the kettle emitted a charming whistle. Hinata stood, rubbing her hands together, and retrieved tea leaves from a cabinet.

"Would you like some?"

Karin stopped. The protagonist had just confronted her ex-lover at a bar and was about to win him back. "Sure," Karin shrugged.

Hinata walked to Jugo's room and tapped the door with the back of hand. No one answered. She took one step to the right, and tapped on Sasuke's door. Karin's eyebrow slipped upward in amusement.

Sasuke had folded himself into his makeshift meditation area. He sat on a coarse rug and before three stumpy candles. His thoughts were on Hinata, as he had to figure out the most advantageous way to utilize her skill set. She had the unique ability to deal appropriately with people. No one else in his unit could gain the trust of other's so easily. He also remembered her discussion with the civilian woman and wondered, ever so briefly, if there had been an ounce of truth to Hinata's stories. Was she a mother in reality? Of course not, he reasoned. She was simply an excellent liar with a kind face.

He heard her tapping on his door. He rose. Blood rushed to his head, which was unusual, and dizziness struck. He pushed through the discomfort and greeted his visitor with hard eyes and unanimated mouth. Hinata would have blushed at the annoyance she noticed, but since he was always annoyed she didn't feel it was much her fault.

"Would you like some tea?" She kept her eyes trained on her toes. She needed to clip them.

He walked out of his room and sat across from Karin, whose surprised eyes peaked over her paperback. The three sat in silence sipping at tea. Karin had to put her book down. She couldn't bear to read such a thing sitting across from him. It was embarrassing. When he had finished he got up, rinsed his cup and retreated back into his room. Karin blinked at the entire situation. Hinata bit her lip to suppress her laughter. Hinata hadn't had the urge to laugh, really laugh, in years.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke lay on his side. His jaw was loose and his eyes shut tight. He had begun to drift asleep. His mind was wandering in the way a mind does before losing consciousness. Thoughts raced and there was dark hair and red eyes. There were opal ones and broken bones. There was blood and cries. He dreamt of the war he wanted so much to prevent from ever happening again. He could not have his comrades, or anyone, go through large scale, all encompassing, war again. His eyes snapped open. The darkness was humming, convulsing before his eyes. He liked to think of the darkness as a living thing, like a friend. His mind ran through possibilities. Here at two a.m. it occurred to him. After hours of playing with ideas it only took a minute of uncontrolled thought to achieve clarity. He pulled himself off his bed. There was no time to waste.

He, with dark, wild eyes, made his way to the girls' room. He did not knock, but entered without emitting sound. The two girls were tangled together in restful abandon. Hinata lay on her stomach. Karin snored. Hinata's left arm hung limp off her side of the bed. Thin scabs interrupted perfection. Sasuke stepped forward to wake her. He knocked her shoulder and her face sprung to alertness. She sat up, bringing her hand to cradle her head as blood rushed to it. She looked at him with disoriented eyes. Sasuke moved to pull the vacant girl up, as it seemed she was content on sitting there, her hand pressed to her forehead, forever. Hinata's heart was sputtering in its cage. She gasped trying to collect herself. She had never expected him waking her like this in the very earliest of morning.

He gripped her arms. Hinata found his touch grounding. She let him pull her from Karin's grip. Karin murmured and tossed in her sleep. Sasuke dropped his hands from her and exited the room in his regal manner. Hinata followed, stretching and yawning behind. She stared at him, her eyes bleary, waiting for him to speak. He stood, staring past her, waiting for her to inquire on his purpose. She moved past him and nestled into one of the wooden chairs. It was cold in the large common area, at least compared to where Hinata had just come from. Sasuke took the chair across from her.

"I have a mission for you," He said. Hinata did not respond because her throat felt tight and any sound coming from such a place was bound to be unpleasant.

"You will go back to Konoha. You will say how I kidnapped you, but you escaped. From then on you will act as an informant." He stated. He looked much older than he was in this lighting, or perhaps it was the hollowness of his cheeks, maybe the dark bags beneath his dull eyes.

Hinata's mouth parted in thought. What a ridiculous request. She could not lie to such familiar faces and for whatever reason acting as an informant seemed a more perverted version of betrayal than a clear change of loyalty.

Sasuke continued, "Being able to escape from me should earn you the respect of Naruto. That's what you want, correct?"

Hinata, who had zoned out into the realm of moral ambiguity, crashed down to reality. She had no desire to see Naruto again, after knowing she had betrayed Konaha and by extension him.

"You've only been gone just over a day. I used genjutsu to get you to leave. You could say I threatened the Hyuga family, or whatever lie suits the conversation." He reasoned. His face was as flat as his voice.

Hinata spoke then, "I couldn't compete with you."

"Naruto would assume otherwise, and that's all you need. If Naruto respects and trusts you, Hinata, you will be able to retrieve any information I ask for."

Hinata nodded slowly. She brought her knees up to her chin. She stared at her toes. "I will do what you think will maintain peace." She said, mimicking his enthusiasm. Naruto wouldn't believe she had escaped with just thin cuts round her wrists and ankles. She didn't look as if she had just tousled with the great Sasuke Uchiha.

He seemed to read her mind, he said, "We leave in 5."

Hinata dressed slower than usual, she felt as though she had been caught up in a hurricane. This thing, her decision, was beginning to have unpredictable, unstoppable consequences. How could she (how could anyone) say no to him? She rinsed her mouth of sleep breath in the bathroom. She caught her reflection as she was leaving and for some reason this reminded her of yesterday and the happy mother and the dead men; the peach haired and beer bellied. The stitches holding her heart together loosened at the thought. For the greater good, she reminded herself.

Sasuke met her at the front door. He was wrapped in his white cloak, she couldn't wear her own for obvious reasons. Together they walked through the cobbled streets. A plastic bag, caught by the wind, tumbled by them. Sasuke's eyes were trained forward. Hinata couldn't help but look around at frosty windows and at the glistening mounds of snow. She admired the way chimney smoke looked against this night sky and quarter moon. Sasuke led her to a small clearing. It was suitable for combat. Hinata was afraid. She had seen what he could do and knew she was incapable of handling him.

He stretched his hands, "I'm not going easy on you. I will hurt you as much as you let me." Hinata hadn't felt fear like this since her genin days. It was paralyzing. He wouldn't kill her. On purpose. She had faith he wouldn't do such a thing accidentally. He was too calculating for him to kill her without intention. Sasuke watched Hinata, he walked round until he faced her head on. The situation was nauseating.

She waited for him to make his first move. Over the past few years, she had refined her fighting style, but she had also begun to rely on the mistakes of her opponents. She imagined this opponent did not make mistakes. Their breath lifted into the air, visible like chimney smoke. Hinata swallowed her fear. She swooped forward. He flickered away. She was embarrassed. He was so unreactive. He caught her then, knocking her back with a punch. Hinata lay on her back, he walked toward her.

"You need motivation." He said. Hinata couldn't bear to meet his gaze. She shrugged.

"Sit with me," he demanded. He walked away from her and folded himself beneath an elm tree, which lined the clearing. Hinata blinked by nerves, but followed. She sat, maintaining an appropriate distance. His eyes were closed. His hands rested on his knees.

"Focus." He ordered.

And so Hinata did. She kept track of his presence. She didn't want to be caught a fool and have him attack her while she blindly followed his instruction. They sat that way a while. It was cold too. Hinata's bare calves were numb against the snow. Sasuke stood suddenly, Hinata's eyes flicked open to watch him for direction.

He walked back into the clearing, and so she followed. He struck first. She ducked. The pair took potshots at eachother. Hinata activated her Byakugan and Sasuke activated his Sharingan in response. She never hit him with her charged fists, he never let her. He did however singe the hairs of her arms and edges of her clothing. She didn't feel the heat. He threw her. Three ribs broke. Crick. Crack. Bruises bloomed like flowers in the spring. It was not beautiful, though, like the season, but was brutal and Hinata spat blood from her mouth.

Sasuke could handle her with ease, yet she avoided many of his attacks. More than most did. She had good timing and reaction times, she only lacked aggression. He activated his lightning jutsu, caught up in the moment. He saw confusion in her eyes, and a little fear. Hinata had learned to harness her water element chakra, but there was no source for her to draw from. She was unable to conjure water out of nothing. Except, Hinata realized, there wasn't nothing. There was always something. She had learned this from Neji; that everything can very well come from something you had thought was nothing. He had learned from someone he thought nothing of, as Naruto had showed him his freedom.

Snow floated in the air around her. She took a shot in the dark, she focussed and meant to bring a wall of water to block and hold any lightning Sasuke shot at her. Instead, a thick wall of snow shot from the ground. Sasuke flinched away at the last moment, but his foot was locked down in the mound of animated snow. He was unaware she was able of such a feat. Hinata saw him there, digging his left foot out of the snow. She walked out from behind the wall. Sasuke was standing now. He glanced from the snow to Hinata.

"I guess snow counts as water," she murmured.

"Hn," Sasuke acknowledged.

Hinata held her side and smiled through the pain. Sasuke walked toward her. He lifted her arm, examining the results of his efforts. Hinata cringed at the movement. He dropped her arm. She winced. She looked at him through desperate eyes. She was tired of this. It was two hours to Konoha and Hinata knew the journey would put her in rougher shape, but she would be in such a state if she had escaped with a fight. She expected Sasuke to retreat back to his hideout and leave her to stumble towards Konoha in solitude, but he didn't leave her side. He had to ensure his informant's safety for as long as possible after all. She had to actually make it to Konoha for his plan to progress.

Hinata limped forward. Sasuke closed his eyes. He could carry her, but the damage would be authentic and medical evaluation would back up Hinata's story of escape. Sasuke knew she had felt worse in her time as a Shinobi and Hinata's mouth was a thin line of determination. Sasuke liked the look on her. It affirmed his beliefs regarding her character.

It was 4 am. Naruto stared at the speckled ceiling of his penthouse apartment. Out of the window to his left he could see his office, the political center of Konoha standing proud amongst barber shops and cafes. So this was peace? Naruto rolled over. He always left his bedroom door open when he slept and he could see the green night light plugged into the wall of the main hall. It was a gift from Sakura. She always gave him the lamest gifts. When she had given it to him she had smiled and explained how, "Everyone needs a hall light. Do you know how many injuries occur because people walk through their dark houses?" Naruto had responded, "No," but Sakura hadn't elaborated. He appreciated the gift on the grounds that it was from a friend whom he cherished and early in his childhood he had never been shown appreciation through gifts. He saw it as a sign of his growth as a person.

Hinata and Sasuke were on the main road to Konoha. It was dark and the deafening kind of quiet. No one was around for miles.

Hinata shattered the silence, "How will you contact me?"

Sasuke responded, "The day before I meet you I will send a hawk with a red ribbon tied around its ankle to the tree outside your bedroom window. If you are able to meet, remove the ribbon. If you can, I'll meet you at the nin graveyard an hour after sunset the next day."

"Oh," said Hinata. She supposed she should have trusted that he would have thought everything out. He had a pet Hawk? Strange, Hinata thought.

"What's its name?" Hinata asked by groomed social habit. As she said the words she recoiled.

"Karin named it Miyu. It's a male." Sasuke admitted.

"Oh," Hinata said.

At 4:30 a.m. Sakura sat before her dark cherry wood vanity. She was curling her eyelashes. Her mouth bent in a concentrated frown. Her shift began at five. She combed her pink hair and knotted it behind her head. Ino said she looked prettier with her hair pulled back, and besides it was practical for a hospital setting. Sanitary too. She pulled on her high heeled knee highs. She adored them. They made her feel powerful for some distinctly feminine reason. Sakura wrapped a red scarf around her head. She pulled it up over her mouth and nose. The cotton was rough against her skin, but the cold would be harsher. She knew most of the body's heat was lost through the head. When she stepped into the street the air was clear and dark. The light post outside of her apartment building had been burnt out for an entire week now. She nearly tripped on the uneven pavement.

The hospital was as silent as it ever was, only demur beeping and the rustling of nurse jackets could be heard. Visitor hours were long over. She passed through the children's wing on the way to her office. Two red faced adults were being escorted to the quiet room by a young nurse. Sakura lowered her face as she passed them. It was the kid from 209, wasn't it? Sakura had seen the chestnut haired boy just two days prior. He had been doing well. He had been colouring in an outline of an alligator. It must had been his last good day. Sakura sighed as she climbed the concrete staircase, heeled boots clicking and echoing all the way.

5 a.m. hit and the Konoha gates rose into Hinata's view. She hadn't imagined she would be back so soon. Sasuke stopped in his tracks. Hinata did the same. He nodded at her. Hinata smiled and continued on. She heard him jump into the tree line and take off, like lightning. Her lips were purple, her cheeks ruddy. She clutched her broken chest. A guard, about thirty, saw her approach visibly wounded. He rushed to her. She fell into his arms. He swore under his breath. The second guard was less eager to help. She stood back and scanned the vicinity. According to her training as a guard, a wounded woman or child was often used as bait. The male guard picked her up bridal style. Her head knocked against his chest; this stranger's heart lulled her into sleep.

Sakura cast a sideways glance at the stack of papers beneath a pearl paper weight. It had been a gift from Hinata. The two were never close, but when Sakura had been promoted the Hyuga heiress had shown up at her door a white gift box held in offering. Sakura never understood Hinata, but appreciated her kindness. Sakura had never considered herself kind. She knew she was intelligent and ambitious, but she couldn't compete with Hinata's gentleness. Her and Ino had all those boys. Ino was glamourous and outgoing. Sakura was not sweet like Hinata, or shiny like Ino. What was she like? She brought her palm to her forehead, "Get it together Sakura, you're not sixteen anymore," she said this aloud. She moved the paperweight off the stack. She unwound her scarf and draped it, along with a felt jacket over her chair, but before she could settle down Shizune burst into the room.

"Critical condition patient," she huffed before turning and rushing down the stairs.

Sakura followed grabbing and pulling on her medical jacket as she ran. When she entered the emergency chamber a very broken looking Hinata Hyuga was tucked onto the second last bed on the left. The person in bed beside her was complaining loudly to a nurse regarding the state of his "turbulent bowels". He demanded attention, but Sakura did not indulge the man's selfish behavior. She evaluated Hinata before touching her.

"The trauma to her chest is the first priority," Sakura announced.

Shizune nodded. Sakura hovered over the girl, she held her hands over her rib cage and began healing her. Fuzzy aqua light emitted from her palms. Hinata sighed in her sleep. Sakura looked into the girl's frostbitten face. How the hell-?

"We need to notify the family," Shizune interjected and stepped toward the door.

"Wait," Sakura began.

Shizune stopped in her tracks, she narrowed her brow at Sakura.

"We need to speak with Hinata first. We don't want to jeopardize her safety." Sakura explained, not taking her eyes off Hinata.

"You're not suggesting."

"We can't rule anything out. She was off rotation last I heard."

"Should I get Naruto then?" Shizune asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, the Hokage should choose how we handle it." Sakura reasoned not taking her eyes of her glowing hands.

Shizune exited the emergency room. The foyer was beginning to fill with civilians inflicted with work related injuries and random illnesses. She sent a telegraph to the Hokage at 5:45 a.m. it read:

"Needed at hospital. Now."

Naruto read it bent over a bowl of cereal. He blinked at it. He yawned. He threw his jacket over his pajamas and shuffled through two day old, greying, snow to the hospital. Shizune was waiting at the front door. She ushered him to a room on the third floor.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, "What is it?"

Shizune glanced about the halls. She looked at him to silence him. Naruto didn't catch the hint; he persisted, "Seriously, just spit it out."

Shizune grabbed his wrist and spun him into the room. Naruto was surprised by her strength. Sakura was in the room. She faced away from him, but turned to greet him. Her expression relaxed as she recognized him. Naruto blushed. He couldn't help it around Sakura. Sakura stepped aside to permit Naruto's gaze. Naruto cocked his head at the sight of Hinata Hyuga. His heart tightened.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice raspy. The sight before him was the last he would have expected.

"We're not sure. She hasn't regained consciousness. I wanted to ask if you had sent her on a mission or anything."

Naruto stepped back into the stiff chair that rested against the wall across from the bed, "No." He rubbed his hands together. He remembered his and Hinata's last conversation. Naruto thought she had handled his decision well enough. She didn't cry, at least.

"Okay, well we think holding off on notifying her family until we hear from her what happened."

"Where was she found?" Naruto asked. He couldn't take his eyes off Hinata's broken form. What had he been doing when his comrade had been exposed to such brutality? He felt guilty because he was her leader. He was responsible for her.

Sakura sighed, "Well I have other things to attend to. I'll assign someone to check on her every hour or so."

"I can stay," Naruto shrugged. Sakura was resting her hands on her hips. Naruto looked as earnest as always.

"Don't you have other things to be doing, being Hokage and all," her tone was condescending. Her face stern.

"I always do." Naruto dismissed, "Besides looking after my comrades is one of them, you know."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Alright well, see ya later then." She left, Shizune at her heels, closing the door softer than her mood suggested she would. Naruto listened to the women buzz down the hallway in their heels. Click. Clack.

He turned his attention to Hinata. She lay on her back, as any other position would prove too painful. Her face was blank. Naruto had never seen her with such a blank face, and pale too. Often when he saw her face it was tinged a rose pink. He missed the colour. He relaxed into the hospital chair and closed his eyes. He folded his hands on his lap and inhaled the sterile hospital air. This was relaxing.

Hinata dreamt of snow. It was falling and whirling around her, but wasn't sharp and cold as she knew it to be. It was soft and full, like clean sheets. She dreamt of his black eyes and a red hawk. The hawk flew towards her. It was giant, as large as a pine tree. It screamed. How was she supposed to hide such a thing? Naruto was there. He was petting the hawk's wing.

He asked her, "What's its name?"

She replied, "Cho. Its name is Cho."

And he said, "That's a stupid name."

Hinata cried and tears froze in her eyes. The salty ice splintered and punctured her vision. The world was suddenly unclear. Distorted by ever increasing black dots. They encompassed her, embracing her as if they were alive. Growing and growing. She could no longer see the snow, but she could feel it. It was hot. Burning her chest. It broiled her bones. She was on fire.

Naruto was gazing out the window. He could see the academy from that hospital room. He watched the children roughhouse their way to class. Hinata made a sound. Naruto stood. She groaned again, louder this time. Was she having a nightmare? Naruto needed to comfort her, but was afraid to touch her. He though a single brush of his fingertips would shatter her. He walked nearer and settled on resting his palm next to her shoulder.

"Hey Hinata," he began, "It's just a dream, Okay?" He shuffled uncomfortably. Her face was now caked in distress.

He cleared his throat, "You're safe now. Sakura fixed you up. You're Okay." He repeated that, "You're okay. You're Okay. You're okay."

Hinata faded into conscientiousness in tune to the very familiar voice. Her brow furrowed and she opened her eyes. Naruto was looking into her face and smiled warmly as her watched her wake. Hinata's heartrate consequently doubled. Naruto brushed his pointer and forefinger over her hairline.

"Hey," he soothed.

Hinata calmed. She looked away from him and down her own body. She was covered in light hospital sheets. On the wall across from her was a whiteboard with her stats hastily written in thick green ink. Hinata smiled. She was in.

"So," Naruto began. He rose and pulled his chair next to her. He sat, leaning forward and crossing his hands together. "What happened?" He asked. His voice was softer than she had ever heard him. Hinata's nerves flared. Colour bloomed into her cheeks. Naruto watched her face redden. He was comforted by the normalcy she exhibited.

"I—I," she stuttered.

Naruto shook his head, "Never mind, I'm glad you're awake."

Hinata moved to sit up. She grimaced. Her ribs still tender and angry in their brokenness. Still she sat up. Her face drained of any colour it had gained over the prior moments. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her bare feet flat on laminate floors. She stood, pale legs trembling. Finally standing straight she smiled in relief at Naruto, "I'm okay. I can tell you, but I think I want some tea before." Her voice was croaky to some degree.

Naruto said, "I'll go get some, you wait here. You shouldn't be walking, you know."

"Oh," Hinata responded. She must look worse than she felt.

Naruto exited the room and Hinata sat back down on the very edge of the bed. What should she say? How much truth should she give away? She knew the more truth to her lie, the more believable and solid it would prove to be. She also blushed at Naruto's kindness. He had become so aulteristic. It seemed to Hinata almost blindly so. And she felt shame. She really didn't want to face any of her former comrades so soon, or at all, but now she had to act as if nothing had happened the way it really did. She had to be the victim of the story once again.

Naruto returned, two steaming mugs in hand. "Camomile," He said as he passed one to Hinata. The sunlight filtering through the blinds made his skin golden, which accentuated his blue eyes.

"Thank you," Hinata said, her eyes trained on the scuff marks in the center of the room.

The two sat in silence, each sipping their scalding comfort. Hinata avoided his eyes, but could feel his gaze. Naruto was not shy about looking into other people's faces. He actually enjoyed it. He liked watching people's expressions, particularly the happy ones. Hinata's expressions were always modest, so he had come to her colouring. He noticed, however, the slight downturn of her mouth and lift of her eyebrows. She was nervous, in perhaps deep thought. Naruto often could not decipher expressions, but he appreciated them never the less.

Hinata swirled the tea leaves in the bottom of her mug, "The night before last…" she began and Naruto hung on her every word.

 _Author's Note: Good? I hope you enjoyed it if you made it this far. I have more free time now, so I plan on updating more frequently. So much for that two parter thing huh?_


	5. Chapter 5

Hanabi sat at the kitchen table. She crossed her legs and tapped her chin. Before her was a blue clay plate decorated with seven sugar cookies. An eighth cookie was hanging off her lips. Crumbs had begun to collect on her casual robe. Hinata had run off. Should she report it? It would look bad, considering their relationship and Hyuga reputation. She could wait in case Hinata returned in a couple days and her run away proved to be temporary. Why had she run away? A wicked grin played on her lips. Perhaps Hinata was with child. Ridiculous. Imagine the scandal. Hababi gingerly took another thin cookie between her fingers. Perhaps she had been assigned a super-secret mission, which even the head of the Hyuga clan could know nothing about. Unlikely. Maybe she had been kidnapped due to her political affiliations. Not unlikely, but she though in her own childish way that they should have kidnapped her instead of her dreary sister. It still irked Hanabi that people confused her for her sister despite dealing with such confusion her entire year. She was not Hinata. Not in the slightest.

Hanabi felt she wasn't in a rush to be decisive, as no one would notice Hinata's absence for at least a little while longer. Hinata did live a relatively reclusive lifestyle. Nobody would question not seeing her and Hinata was hardly the subject of gossip. Hanabi figured she had at least two more days to report Hinata as a missing person. She crunched on the sugar cookie. They were store bought, as she had no such time to be baking cookies and she paid for her laziness in more than the monetary way. The cookies were more sandy than sugary. The dusty crumbs caught in her throat. She needed a glass of water, so she rose. Her feet were bare. She walked to the last cabinet and retrieved a short glass engraved with birds and flowers. She stepped to the sink. A sharp pain shot up her leg. The suddenness of the sensation caused tears to well up in her opal eyes. Dammit. She thought she had picked all the shards up. Obviously she hadn't.

She trudged into the main hall, balancing on the balls of her feet as to not inflame her injury. Tweezers. She needed tweezers. She entered the main bathroom and rummaged through the first aid kit and every drawer. Nothing. She searched her own room. Again, nothing. Hinata always had these kind of things. The practical, almost forgettable things. She stepped into her older sister's room, an odd sense of apprehension tugged at her. This was restricted territory. The room was in a state of neat perfection, except for the dark hair strands scattered around the ivory vanity. Hanabi's expression dropped. So Hinata had chosen to leave. Why'd she have to leave such a mess behind her?

In the vanity door was a slim set of tweezers. They were silver and streamline. The lack of ornamentation made them appear sterile, though Hanabi still felt it necessary to douse the thing with antiseptic before perching on the edge of Hinata's bed and picking at the sole of her foot. Blood dripped. It bloomed on Hinata's white carpet. Hanabi felt no guilt, as with Hinata gone this house was hers to ruin.

Meanwhile Naruto sat lightning struck under Hinata's words. He had never heard her speak for such a duration. Her voice was light, but not to the degree he once thought. He rolled his mug between his palms. He starred into the tea leaves. Sasuke, what the hell are you doing? He lifted his gaze to the ceiling; there he searched for clarity. Sasuke never screwed up. Hinata must have escaped the perfect captor. His blue eyes flicked to Hinata as he thought of her. She blinked at him. She was waiting for the hard headed boy to say something. He wouldn't and instead, he stood and turned on the spot. He faced away from Hinata. His shirt was rumpled, from sitting, exposing a line of tan lower back. He looked over his shoulder. A warm smile graced his mouth.

He said, "Rest now, Hinata, we can talk more when you feel better."

"I'm okay," she shrugged, "could I go home?" She looked into her folded hands. She picked at her nail beds. Hinata had never appreciated the atmosphere of a hospital and she felt that she was taking up a room she didn't need. Plus she wanted to be alone for a little while. She felt drained. She longed for a moment or two of loneliness. When Naruto hadn't responded Hinata looked up to ensure he was in fact still standing there in the center of the room, his feet concealing angry scuff marks. He was still turned away from her. His hands were clenched in a loose fist. Why? Had Hinata asked a difficult question?

"Stop acting that way Hinata." Naruto said, turning. His eyes were pleading, "You're allowed to be afraid. Don't ignore fear like that. That's not bravery."

Hinata narrowed her gaze at him. She never thought she was brave. She knew full well she was afraid and she could _handle_ it. She tried to pacify his concerns, "I know Naruto. I'll sleep. Thank you for everything." She smiled at him, closing her eyes. She moved to snuggle beneath the sheets. Her short hair fanned onto the stack of pillows.

Naruto watched the corners of her mouth curl. That was not a smile. Naruto was well practiced with fake expressions of contentedness. He was something of a politician himself these days. When had she developed such calculated reactions? Naruto became frustrated with the girl, or perhaps the situation. They were inseparable at this point.

Hinata's eyes were closed. Naruto plopped onto the edge of her bed. Her eyes flashed open. She stared uncomprehensive to his actions. He pulled his fingers through his blonde hair. "You can't go home." He gathered himself, once the weight of the fact moved off his sturdy chest to hang in the air. He exhaled, "You hadn't been reported missing, or anything, so…" He kicked his legs out and crossed his ankles, "Sakura thinks the Hyuga might have had something to do with your kidnapping."

He wasn't wrong. Hinata Hyuga was responsible, but of course this was not what he meant. "But," she began, "I know it was Sasuke and his team." His name still felt foreign on her tongue. The taste of it still undefined, as he was.

"I'm not denying that. I trust you, but that doesn't mean your family didn't order it or something."

"Maybe I was a political target. I could easily be mistaken for my sister." Hinata offered. She could feel warmth radiating from him. Exhaustion was working like drunkenness and she wanted to curl beneath his arms.

"He doesn't tend to do those kind of things, you know."

"Oh."

An awkward silence spanned over the next few moments. Naruto looked into her face. Hinata wished she had tea to excuse her silence and distract from his gaze. She looked scared, Naruto recognized. Something about the way her eyes flitted about the room and the tension of her mouth. Her hands fidgeted. For a moment he wanted to hold those hands in his own. He imagined they were cold and light. He could warm them. He almost indulged his whim, even moving his hands off his knee caps.

"You should leave." Hinata broke the silence. She adopted Sasuke's demeanor only long enough to take Naruto off of his guard. He looked at her with wide, bothered eyes. He checked the clock ticking above Hinata's head. She followed his gaze. 6: 30 it read. Naruto stood, adjusting the hem of his shirt.

"Okay, I'll be back later tonight," he decided as he spoke. Hinata nodded and watched Naruto leave. He stood outside the closed door for a moment. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really didn't need this. That was a selfish thought. He shook his head, and began down the hall. He could hear the bustling of the hospital beneath him. A petit nurse passed him and offered a bright wave. Naruto reciprocated with a duller version. His bowl of cereal would be mushy by now. He wondered if it was edible. He could ask Sakura, although she would probably just get angry with him. He decided lunch at 7 a.m. would continue the strangeness of the day and so he shuffled to Ichiraku's.

When Karin woke she didn't notice Hinata's absence, because she hadn't fully got used to Hinata being present. She wiped drool from her bottom lip and moved into the common room. Jugo and Suigetsu had already left for the day. She knocked on Sasuke's door. No one answered, so she opened it. She half expected to be greeted by the back of his head or gleaming glare, but he wasn't there. It was very empty and quiet. Hinata was gone too, Karin realized and she pinched her skin to ensure she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't.

Karin decided she was not concerned by her aloneness. She assumed the lot of them had dispersed to take care of separate errands. The door opened behind her and cold air rushed in and caused her hairs to stand in their effort to retain maximum body heat. Karin shivered. Jugo stomped his boots before entering. Miyu, the male hawk, was perched on his shoulder. It cawed at Karin.

"You're gonna kill that thing, dragging it about in the cold like that."

Jugo didn't answer. He usually ignored Karin's antics, mostly because he was unsure of how to respond. "Where's Sasuke?" He drawled.

"How should I know?" Karin put her hands on her hips and raised her eyes brows. Jugo regretted asking.

And she went on, "He always runs off and never tells us where, but expects us not to do the same. I thought we were a team."

"He respects our privacy, we should respect his." Jugo reasoned.

Karin huffed," whatever."

Sasuke lay in the attic room of a roadside lodge. He hadn't planned on resting between Konoha and the hideout, but it had been too tempting. The lodge had caught his dull eyes as he ran through the trees. It was secluded. The man at the counter had scowled at him. He would not be bothered here. There was a do-not-disturb sign handing off the door handle. A heavy maid noticed it and turned to march back down the stairs, a bucket of molding cleaning supplies swinging from her short-fingered hands.

Sasuke rolled onto his back. A small bug crawled up the wall behind his head. He should contact Hinata soon, as a test. There was a possibility she would ignore him and return to her normal life, and it would be best to discourage her from that decision by maintaining contact. He didn't expect to receive any useful information for at least a few months. She was a long term investment. He would have to wait a week or so for her release from the hospital and she would have to develop her relationship with Naruto. He tried not to get his hopes up for the kind of information Hinata could access for him, but he had never had an undercover ally before and the idea fascinated him. He could hardly think of anything else.

Two stories below the resting, distracted, man Shino sat at the bar a glass of orange juice sitting before him. He lifted the dusty glass to his mouth. The glass left a ring on the dark wood of the counter. A fly, that was not his own, sipped at the substance. Sasuke Uchiha lay just above his head. A very strange and unexpected occurrence. His bugs hummed, ready for action Shino would not take. He wasn't stupid. There was no point in confronting the Uchiha. Nothing would come from it, except perhaps his own death. One of his own insects crawled across white sheets and nestled deep into the Uchiha's sleeve, careful to not be noticed. Shino set the now empty glass back onto the bar. The fly buzzed away. It landed in the bartender's mass of matted black hair.

"Anything more?" The tender asked. Shino shook his head and arranged three silver coins on the dark counter top before leaving.

Sasuke felt the bug on his arm. It wasn't crawling aimlessly like most insects, but had froze to deter detection. He took it between two fingers. He recognized it. The familiarity jarred him back to reality. He squashed it. Its exoskeleton crunched and he brushed the carcass to the floor. He had been so careless in his tiredness. He took a moment to collect his belonging and pull on his cloak before pushing open the shutters. He saw nothing but blank snow and felt nothing but cold air, so he slipped out and took off towards the hideout.

Shino had felt his insect die. He figured Sasuke was perceptive and there was a good chance he would detect and put an end to Shino's ploy, but it was worth a try to track him. Shino began back to Konoha a day earlier than he would have liked. See he had fallen in love with that hotel ever since staying there as a genin. Once. Kurenai hadn't let them stay there a second time, but he found the place charming and returned on his days off to escape the noise of Konoha. He needed to tell Naruto of Sasuke's presence, though, his loyalty demanded it. Shino shuffled back to the main road. The sky was grey. He couldn't see the sun.

When he reached Konoha's gates he greeted the guards with a nod. He signed his name on the sheet. He noticed Hanabi's name, which caught his interest because Hanabi wouldn't be leaving Konoha. He headed directly to Naruto's office. The streets were crowded and children stared at him. Large blue, brown and black eyes gazed at him. Shino never attracted attention from adults; they ignored his covered face, but children seemed to be drawn by his mystery. They must have thought him a superhero or villain.

He approached the front door, which was complete transparent glass. He stomped his feet before entering. The woman manning the desk lifted her brow.

She asked, "How can I help you. Please check in here."

Shino didn't feel like speaking with the woman, mostly because he dreaded the awkwardness of social interaction. He never knew what to say to strangers and usually settled on nothing. He walked past her up the stairs leading to the second floor.

She had been told not to force inquiry, but press a button to alert the Hokage of a pushy visitor. She did and an amber light flickered on Naruto's desk. He assumed it was Sakura because she cared not for his status. He hoped it was Sakura, but opened the door to a snowy-haired Shino. Naruto frowned. Shino stared. The two stood in silence for two, maybe three moments before Naruto ushered him inside. Naruto shivered. Something about Shino really creeped him out. The bugs were probably responsible.

"So…" Naruto said. He rocked on his feet, "Why are you here?" He sounded ruder than he intended.

"Sasuke Uchiha was within a mile radius of Konoha this morning. Just thought you should know." His own breath warmed the fabric covering his face. It made his skin feel clammy. He turned to leave, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Um, Thanks for the intel," Naruto said, confusion still obvious on his features. Shino nodded as he left.

How did Shino know that? The bugs, probably. Naruto cringed. After the weirdness of the situation had absolved itself the content of Shino's words hit him. Full force. Sasuke must be looking to retry his attempt at kidnapping Hinata, Right? He must need her for something, and she is now in a weakened state making her easier to steal, probably. The conclusion made perfect sense to Naruto.

So, the correct move would be to protect Hinata. He could not prevent Sasuke from entering Konoha obviously, the bastard was sneaky. He couldn't capture him either, as that would require a lot of resources and Sasuke was not easily caught. Besides the less the general public knew of Sasuke's interest in Konoha the better. He didn't need a tense suspicious atmosphere at the moment. Hinata needed a body guard, at least until she was fully healed. He couldn't do it himself, he had too much on his plate already. Shino would be good. Maybe. He should let Hinata decide who she is most comfortable with.

It was 5 p.m. and technically this meant Naruto was off shift, and everyone else in the building was too. He made no move to leave as he usually tended to stick around until 9 or so. That's the thing about being the leader. There is no one to tell you when to stop. Naruto was hunched over his desk. He was reviewing the reports on the academy students. He was putting together teams for the spring. It was a time consuming process and involved more attention than Naruto was willing to give it at the moment. He tapped the back of his pen on some kid's forehead. The photos all looked the same. Their stats blurred into one another's. He wasn't detail oriented enough for this. He leaned back into his chair. The coffee on his desk was cold, he could tell. He just had to focus for another hour, then he could visit Hinata and finally return home. An hour was nothing.

He had compiled a few teams in that hour. Well three, but that included about a quarter of the graduates. He stretched back in his chair. It was 7: 12 p.m. When he stood he cracked his neck and sighed. A large window spanned behind his desk. Frost coated the edges and a cool draft emitted through the glass. He looked past his reflection to snow covered roof tops. It was a dark, skyless night; not even the moon could be seen through the rolling clouds. He blew out the candle at the edge of his desk. The smoke twirled into the air and caught in his throat. He always forgot not to inhale candle smoke and his eyes watered.

He walked through the streets passing friendly adults and teens, who waved or smiled. He passed younger children, who whooshed past him with runny noses, not caring for his presence. The wind was fierce, even in the village centre. It whipped his face. A storm must be brewing. Naruto entered the hospital, his own nose reddish and wet.

"Wipe your feet please," the greying woman at the desk croaked without looking up from her desk.

"Right," Naruto cleared his throat, "Sorry."

He proceeded up the steps he knew led to Hinata's room. Visitor hours were over. The hospital was eerie, by the dim hall lights and the murmuring technology. He knocked on Hinata's door. Once. A moment passed and he lifted his knuckle to knock again. The handle clicked. Hinata's face peeked from behind the frame. If she were standing a few inches forward, the top of her head would just brush beneath Naruto's chin. Clad in a white hospital gown she looked sort of like a ghost. The ghost girl stepped aside to let Naruto enter. She stepped back and plopped onto her bed. Her hair bounced at the force. The hospital gown revealed more white thigh than she realized. If she had maintained eye contact with Naruto, he would have blushed. He pulled the sterile plastic chair away from the wall to sit before her.

"I have an idea." He declared.

"Okay," Hinata chimed. She had the most wonderful sleep. She hadn't dreamt at all.

"I'm going to assign you a body guard until you are healthy." He watched her face for her nonverbal, more honest reaction.

She frowned, "I don't think that's necessary. I'm alright. Don't the nin have better things to be doing?"

He saw her apprehension and countered, "Not really. Missions are slow in the winter. I would feel better if I assigned a body guard."

Hinata bit her lip. She did not want somebody next to her all day, not only due to her nature, but because she couldn't have a witness to whatever meetings occurred between her and Sasuke. A body guard was not wanted, but how could she argue with him? If he was dead set on it, what could she do?

"Oh, okay. Thank you Naruto." Silence passed. "Who?" she finally asked.

Naruto, who had seemed far away, snapped back to the present, "I thought you could choose, you know, so you could be comfortable. I thought maybe TenTen or Shino, since you know them. Maybe Ino, or actually maybe not she has a loud mouth." He trailed off. Hinata was gazing into the corner.

Hinata couldn't make TenTen take a babysitting mission. Shino was too perceptive, which made Hinata nervous only because she had something to hide. "Kiba?" She suggested. Kiba was a distracted man, who knew Hinata too well. He was too close to see her clearly.

This caught Naruto's attention, "Are you sure, he hasn't been himself lately." Naruto had never been fond of Kiba past their relation as peers, but he had been Hinata's teammate. He was rude and reckless too. There were worse things a person could be, Naruto admitted. Naruto did feel he could trust him with Hinata, Kiba cared for her intensely.

Hinata nodded. If it had to be anyone, Kiba was the one. Although she wasn't sure of Naruto's logic. How could anyone compete with Sasuke? If he wanted him dead or gone from Konoha, she would be. Unless Naruto now measured Sasuke's strength by Hinata's in which case, yes Kiba could deter him. Perhaps Naruto had only wanted to make Hinata feel safe in light of violation of her security. She smiled at the thought.

"Alright I'll let him know tomorrow." Kiba could be difficult to deal with, but any of Naruto's apprehension was quelled due to the nature of the assignment. He was sure Kiba would step up without complaint or critique.

"Can I go home, then?" Hinata asked. She knew the answer. Naruto would have mentioned if Hanabi had reported her missing.

Naruto hesitated, "Not yet. Hey," he began, changing the subject, "I can grab you some more tea if you want." He gestured to the door. He watched Hinata smile. It was a light, legitimate thing.

"Okay."

He vanished only to return with mismatched mugs stolen from the staff room, the same as this morning. A full circle. He smelt of ink, and less of sleep this time around. Hinata scooted from her spot to make room for him.

"Sit," she smiled, "that plastic chair is awful." She felt braver than usual. Strange. Her confidence was at an all-time high, still she bit her lip in case of rejection.

When he did sit she blushed. She had half expected to wave away her offer, but here he was. She glanced at his profile. His nose was pink still. She tucked herself back beneath the blankets. Sitting she brought her knees to her chest. She folded her arms and rested her chin on the back of her hands. He turned to face her. He kicked off his shoes and folded himself, cross-legged, at the bottom of her bed. His hands were wrapped around a hot mug. Hinata noticed ink on his fingertips. Hinata felt like a child at a sleepover. Hinata giggled and Naruto did too. They looked like such fools.

Hanabi's left foot was wound with white bandage to prevent infection. She had been reckless with those tweezers and had broken some skin around the embedded glass. She sat at the edge of her own bed. Her sheets were a dusty blue. She spread her fingers over its soft texture. She was craving some kind of comfort. She wished for a husband and settled for a bite of the chocolate bar she kept in her night stand. She let the chunk melt on her tongue. She sort of missed Hinata. Hanabi was accustomed to the presence of another person in this grand house. She would get used to it in time. It was fine. Tomorrow morning she would rush into the hokage's office with the air of a disturbed, anxious sibling of a missing girl. She needed good sleep for the energy to pull that off.

 _ **Author's Note: I feel cheesy today. Thank you for reviewing and favouriting and following. Let me know if you think the story is headed in an alright direction or if it's bad because it's not too late to change course here…**_


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had been a long while up. It was bleeding through Kiba's eyelids, so he rolled to his side and draped his forearm over his brow. He grumbled, and so did Akamaru who slept on the floor beside the creaking wire bed. He used to curl beneath Kiba's feet but his joints had welded stiff over the past few years. Those moments belonged to the past. Kiba blinked awake, lethargic in his awakening. He had nothing to do. Not a thing. It was torture. Naruto was aware of Kiba's emotional state and in his normal blatancy treated Kiba as if he were brittle porcelain. The endless burden of lonesome escort missions wore on him. Right through tan skin to glaring bone. He escorted some squinted, shuffling old man at least once a week and wished upon that great star, the sun, for something better to do.

Kiba slid his eyes to Akamaru. His own breath stagnant. Akamaru's belly rose and fell in deep measures. Kiba exhaled and sat. His grey sweatpants bunched around his leg and caught in all the wrong places. He stood and stretched. When he took his first step that was when Akamaru first noticed his presence. The beast opened his eyes. The once coal black glinted alabaster, like snow in winter light. Kiba knelt and pressed his forefinger to the dog's nose. Bone dry. He tilted his head, running his hands over Akamaru's head, fingering the velvet ears. He noticed yellow gunk caught in his eyelashes, tangling then into sparseness.

"Be right back, boy." Kiba said and stood. In the dusty bathroom conjoined to his one room apartment he ran luke warm water over a green striped cloth. He returned to his friend. Akamaru sighed into the warm cloth resting on his eyes.

The stainless steel bowls nearby stood untouched. Kiba refilled them anyway. It was habit perhaps. He showered, contemplated shaving, didn't, and then dressed in yesterday's clothes. Kiba's breakfast consisted of coffee and pepperoni sticks. Two servings of each. He would have liked to go out, but to leave Akamaru alone was incomprehensible so he flopped onto a blue couch, sunken in the middle from the wearing quality of its many passengers and dozed. He cat napped into the afternoon.

In that sterile hospital room two mugs sat cold and forgotten on the floor next to the stiff bed. On the mattress beneath the blanket Hinata lay on her back, the weight of sleep still heavy. Naruto slept atop the cover his cheek lined from being pressed so long into ruffled sheets that Hinata lay beneath. The ruffled blanket of where Naruto covered Hinata's belly. He had used her as a pillow. Broken ribs, broken wings and all. At six a blonde nurse with watery eyes had opened the door to the scene. She had smiled at the cuteness and proceeded to exit without disruption. Time woke Hinata. She had always been an early riser. The clock above their nest read 8:30. Her ribs ached, she shuffled to obtain comfort, but Naruto inhibited much movement. Hinata blushed, out of fondness, at his position. Here in morning light and under the hand of sleep, Naruto appeared unchanged from those academy days. So small. A child. Naruto woke under her gaze.

"Good morning," he croaked, with a voice unlike a child's. Upon noticing where he rested he shot up hand rubbing the back of his neck. Hinata watched the creases on his face contort by his smile.

"I didn't plan to fall asleep. Sorry for sleeping on you." He dropped his lightness, "You're okay? I didn't crush you or anything. Sakura always tells me I have a fat head, you know." He trailed off, pursing his mouth.

"I'm fine." Hinata smiled, "I hope you slept well."

"Huh?" Naruto muttered bending to collect the remnants of their late night tea party. That's what it was. And said, "Yeah. See ya later Hinata. I'll send Kiba soon." He exited taking too much care to shut the door in such a quiet way.

Hinata rose. She combed her fingers through her hair. She must look quite a fright. There was no mirrors in this room. For the patients comfort, she supposed. Nobody needs the stress of ugliness atop the anxiety provoked by sick, but this room was beginning to feel like a separate world. Like a dream land others would visit in their spare time for entertainment. To feel like herself again she would have to leave, maybe not the hospital for she was not so gutsy, but out of this room.

Her white gown sharpened her curves and her torso resembled a rectangle. She looked younger than she was. Hinata stepped into the hall, letting the door fall shut behind her. Bang. She retracted into herself at the sound. At the end of the hall stood a vending machine. She could see chips and candy bars filed and ready for purchase. She lifted her hand to her stomach and it whined for she hadn't eaten in two days' time. The white linoleum felt worn beneath her toes. The sheen of t had long since worn away to catch on the bottom of soles and dissolve into thin air. Hinata never liked sweet foods much, but a bag of chips seemed glorious. She made it partway down the hall before realizing she was changeless.

Naruto didn't even stop at his own place before stomping up three flights of icy steps of a log apartment complex located within the Inuzuka compound. He smelt of hospital, sleep, and camomile tea. Kiba's apartment door was painted teal. There was a brass knocker, or at least the base of one. The actual knocking part of the knocker was gone. Kiba had pulled the thing off one night, underestimating his drunken strength, and then decided he enjoyed its absence. The mailbox fixed to the left of his door had the number 315 printed on it and was crammed, to the point it couldn't shut, with papers pink, white, and yellow. Naruto didn't think to take the mess in for Kiba and instead proceeded to tap the back of his knuckles against the door. No one answered. Naruto kicked the door with his foot leaving a brazing black scuff mark. "Yo Kiba I gotta job for you"

Kiba tossed on the couch, his face bare of its normal burgundy markings. Naruto wondered if anyone was even inside. He pressed his ear to the door and squinted into the distance in order to hear better. Kiba smelt camomile. He didn't own camomile. What was he? A woman? No way. He rolled off the couch, only opening his eyes after standing fully. He opened the door to a flustered Naruto.

"What do you want," Kiba drawled, "and why do you smell like camomile?"

"I need to speak with you, It's important." Naruto lowered his voice so Kiba lent in a bit to catch the words.

Kiba stepped aside to wave the Hokage in with unimpressed eyes.

"You know, I thought those were tattoos," Naruto mused after Kiba had closed the door, gesturing to his own cheeks, "How long does that take you to do?"

"You got to stop using the word 'important' so loosely Naruto. It's gonna lose its meaning." Kiba retorted.

"Well I have a mission for you -"

"Can't you send someone of lower rank for once," Kiba interrupted expecting to be given yet another escort mission. His voice was more desperate than he intended.

"No, you've been requested for specifically. His head tilted to the side like a puppy, "I've never seen your face without those triangle things, you know," Naruto admitted, "It's distracting."

"You're being an idiot. Who asked for me?" He was flattered by the request.

"Hinata, that's why I smell like camomile, see I spent the night with her and we had tea and I decided that she needed a bodyguard so she wouldn't get kidnapped again," Naruto paused, breathless by his precise, well-phrased explanation.

Stayed the night? How dazed was she? Doesn't matter. Kiba blinked, "She was kidnapped?" he probed attempting to pull vital information from whatever was going on in that blonde's head.

"Yeah, she disappeared sometime within the last week or so. Her family didn't report anything. She said it was Sasuke, but she escaped and is recovering in the hospital."

Kiba processed for a moment, "I just saw her four days ago." He shrugged, "whatever that means."

Naruto frowned, "Okay well I have to write up a report, so I'll include that to try and make sense of this whole thing."

Kiba glanced away from that earnest face, "I'll be her body guard."

"Good," Naruto smiled, "Because you didn't really have a choice." He laughed. Silence persisted.

"I'll go to the hospital then," Kiba offered.

"Yeah, that'd probably be good," Naruto frowned.

"It takes fifteen minutes."

"To draw upside-down triangles?"

"No you idiot. To get from the here to the hospital."

"Okay, I'll meet you there with my paper work and we can figure something out."

"Great."

"Yup."

"See ya."

"Alright."

"Goodbye now." Kiba slammed the door exhaling into the motion. He needed to see Hinata, despite being sure she was fine. Three nights, or so, back she had been with him. He brought his fingertips to his temples. How many moments after he departed was she violently swept off by that Uchiha? Doesn't matter. He stepped back into the washroom. A glass pot of semi-permanent paint sat on the counter top beside a yellow toothbrush and other such amenities. He unscrewed the cap and dipped his fingers into the pot to bush the product against his face. One minute.

Hanabi woke at nine. She had slept in. Shit. She threw on boots without socks and a puffy white jacket over silk pajamas. She flurried into the streets, cutting through yards to get to the Hokage's office. Naruto was pulling open the glass entrance as Hanabi rushed up. His gaze dropped to the petit athlete's face. He forced a smile, "How's it going Hanabi?" He watched her, measuring her expression.

"Its awful Hokage my sister, Hinata, is missing." The girl wouldn't meet his gaze, but blinked away tears that caught and glistened on her eyelashes.

Naruto raised his brow in response, "Come," he said, "We'll speak in my office."

Hanabi followed behind him. Not beside him, which kind of freaked him out. He kept glancing back over his shoulder at her miserable face all the way up the stairs. The receptionist had rolled her blueish eyes at the scene. Naruto let the girl into his office. She had never been in the place, as if they met it occurred in the Hyuga council along with a handful of old disciplined souls. Hanabi looked around. The ceiling was low and the room practically empty besides the desk facing the door. The garbage tin next to the desk was full to the brim with crumpled papers, white, yellow, pink and snack wrappers. The room smelt smoky. Hanabi settled into the chair before the desk without Naruto's word. He took his chair. He brought his elbows onto the polished surface and folded his hands, creating a barrier between him and the weeping girl. Her concrete eyes shot to him, "Show concern, would you," her voice broke.

"I'm just trying to think." Naruto explained. He was deciding how much of a lie to feed the Hyuga.

"It's an effort, is it?" Hanabi quipped.

Naruto glared at her. The bright blue harsh like ocean spray. She was startled by the look, for she hadn't seen it before. "Don't be angry with me." She jousted, "I keep my compound secure. It wasn't my fault."

Naruto's expression hardened, "I don't think it matters who is to blame." His heart was going, boy was it going. Could Hanabi tell, or was she too caught up in her own act? He could say she had been found and accuse Hanabi of fault. He could say he had assigned her a top secret mission. He could launch a full blown investigation. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. "When did you notice she was gone?"

"Last night." Hanabi decided.

"You're sure she's missing."

"Of course I'm sure." Naruto hadn't reacted like she thought or planned he would. She had never realized he possessed such a level head.

Naruto nodded. He dug into his desk retrieving fresh paper and ink. He stood gesturing Hanabi to follow. He brought her into the lobby, ushering her to an expensive green upholstered chair, "Can you write the details here? I'll be back in a few." Hanabi took the charge blinking. He smiled and Hanabi watched him step out those glass doors. Which way would he go? He headed left to the hospital. Hanabi squinted into the distance trying to understand. The receptionist watched and Hanabi was broken from her thought by the woman's stare.

Hinata had abandoned any hope of obtaining anything from the vending machine long ago. Someone had brought her jello. It was ruby red and when she tasted it proved grainy, like sand. She stuck her spoon into the center of it and was hit with the urge to whip it against the wall. It would spatter into glistening chunks, and perhaps for the excess of food colouring would stain the wall a rose pink. She didn't. She had been raised better and knew to indulge frustration would cause more. So she nibbled at the meal. She pressed a chunk to her lips. After a moment or two the dye wore onto her lips and tongue. Her mouth a startling gash against her pale features.

Kiba stood outside the door, Naruto at his side. He didn't knock, Naruto did. He kept his hands deep in his pant pockets. Hinata rose and opened the door to the pair. They exchanged smiles warm, nervous, and occupied. Naruto settled onto the bed next to Hinata. No thought wet into the action, it's just that the line had been crossed and therefore irrelevant. Really. Kiba drug the chair to better suggest a meeting and plopped into it. Naruto and Kiba both watched Hinata. Naruto's mind was racing. Kiba was focussed on Hinata's red mouth, waiting to catch any words that might dribble out.

"So I forgot my paper work regarding the Akatsuki at the office," Naruto cleared his throat," I ran into Hanabi and got distracted."

Kiba stayed quiet. Hinata asked, "What did she do?"

"She reported you as a missing person. Just to me though."

Hinata nodded. She did need to get settled back into the Hyuga compound to meet Miyu, the male hawk and communicate with Sasuke, "You should tell her you sent me on a mission and were apprehensive to tell her. I would like to go home." She smiled.

"I don't want to scare you, Hinata, but he might try again. He's kind of suborn that way, so I think it might be best if you do not return to the compound and do not let it out you are back yet to discourage him from returning." Naruto was apprehensive of telling Hinata just how close Sasuke was.

"If he returns we can just capture him," Kiba shrugged, "Hasn't that been your goal for a while. This might be an opportunity to bring him home."

"We're not using Hinata as bait." Naruto decided.

"He might not return."

"He might." The trio sat in silence. The opportunities were endless, which caused indecision. Hinata's nerves started to buzz. Kiba noticed, she was sitting to make herself smaller and was gazing into empty air. He dismissed her anxiety to Naruto's nearness.

Naruto reiterated, "Hanabi could be involved, I think we need to know if she is or not before Hinata can return home for her safety, first."

Hinata retorted, "My sister isn't like that."

"I'll assign someone to retrieve information," Naruto tapped his chin, "Someone on Hanabi's good side."

"Yeah, that's no one." Kiba laughed. Hanabi was selfish with nearly everything thing in her life, material and otherwise.

"I can return. You can only have a Hyuga wandering round the estate without raising alarm and I think we should keep this situation as small as possible and keep few people involved. I don't mind taking the personal risk; that's what ninja do right?" She glanced between the two men. Naruto looked surprised, Kiba looked curious.

He asked, "So how would I fit into this?"

Hinata answered, a smile gracing her red mouth, "You'll act as my body guard, the Hyuga might be offended that I chose you over one of them, but you're an old friend, so they'll understand." The less of a lie the better, "They don't have to know it was Sasuke though." His name still felt odd to say, through all the years she saw his face every day she figured she had never actually said it until yesterday.

Naruto nodded, stroking his chin, "Yes that might be best. How about you stay here for two more days and then well 'find' you and bring you home." He looked at Hinata for a nod of approval. She indulged him. He straightened up to return to his office and paperwork and Hanabi's antics. Kiba remained by Hinata's side. They caught up. Kiba bought a bag of chips from the vending machine. Its obnoxious crinkles reverberated off the pristine hall and a passing nurse glared at the parcel between his hands. She was in the tail end of a 14 hour shift and her temper was worn paper thin by those patients and lazy coworkers. Kiba dropped the treat into Hinata's lap, and she blushed from his kindness.

Do you remember the unhidden hideout? Sasuke had decided to leave it behind. It would be best for Hinata to not know of their location. He half expected the worst. He knew first hand, Naruto tended to have a loyalty inducing quality about him and his attention might remind Hinata her affections for both him and Konoha. They were three hours of walking pace away from the basement suit. Snow wasn't falling, but the sky was solid grey. It was a definite ceiling that promised a snow storm. Karin stepped beside him. Her nose matched her hair. "Cold, huh." She acknowledged. Prior to those words she hadn't spoken for about ten minutes. That was her limit. Suigetsu trudged just ahead his weapon frosted and Jugo trailed behind his eyes trained on the tree line. He was slow moving by nature. Miyu was perched on Jugo's shoulder, he was crouched his eyes slits.

The bags beneath Sasuke's eyes had lightened, but the cold air had hacked at his lips. He licked them, despite knowing it would only worsen. He had decided to head for the land of Earth. He had been seen in Fire. It was time to move on. Its size offered unsupervised sanctuary and was out of Naruto's reach. It was poor and easy to disappear into. Nobody questioned travelers. The lack of political unity allowed for the Akatsuki to slip between the seams and fester. In the past the land had been strong, but frivolous leadership led to disastrous consequences.

"Do you think it will be cold where we're headed," Karin shivered. She had grown sick of the cold, begun to resent the very air she breathed.

Suigetsu responded, "Does it matter you're just gonna sit around the house anyway." He smiled, his nose turned toward the grey sky.

"I do not sit around all day. I do things," She barred her teeth, of course none came to mind at the very moment, "more than you do. You just go to bars." Karin grew flustered.

"How do you know I'm at bars?" Suigestsu looked over his shoulder at Karin. His voice grated on her. She huffed signaling the end of the argument. Suigetsu's ego was glowing. And so they walked through the night. The storm held itself until the four found some rickety inn to shelter and then in relinquished across the land. It beat against windows, rooftops, and faces of every colour. The snow fell three feet deep. Kiba watched from through a thick hospital window. Hinata was in the small shower of her room's washroom. The furnace was rattling. The wind was picking up litter and wiping against graffiti. Kiba thought of Akamaru. His boy had always been terrified of storms, but perhaps his blunted senses would prove a bizarre blessing as protection against the blizzard. His sister was staying in his apartment with Akamaru, so he could sit at ease. The fluorescent light above his eyes flickered. Concern would be communicated by the furrow of his brow.

Hinata stood beneath a warm stream of water. The soap provided by the hospital wash harsh and commercial, but it calmed her never the less. She worked the acid yellow soap into her hair and suds ran down her arms and chest. In a moment the water flashed to ice and Hinata nearly slipped on the white tile. She rinsed and stepped into darkness. A few suds still lingered on her shoulders and ears. She whipped them away with a worn white towel.

When the lights had went out Kiba had stood. He was hesitating before the washroom door. His hand suspended just above the handle he focussed on the smooth door, listening for conformation of her condition. She opened the door redressed in the white hospital gown. Her sides were green and purple beneath the garment. The scabs around her wrists had flaked away and happy pink skin shone. Kiba didn't notice the markings, he was distracted by the darkness of her damp hair, but if he did he would have lifted her wrists closer to his face and touched the marks.

The hospital fell into total silence. Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach. Her world spun like a top and she sprinted to the critical care wing. She ran through the children's wing. Two wings, like a butterfly. The nurses there where flurrying through the dark. One stood in shock in the center of the hall. Sakura stopped only a moment to shake some sense into her. The backup generator had begun to rumble, but the minute of electrical deadness would cause so much grief. The critical care unit was chaos. Papers littered the floor someone had knocked a tub of some liquid over it stretched across the hall, Sakura stepped over the streams of substance. It was rubbing alcohol and the stench pulled tears from her eyes. They streaked down her cheeks. The nurse who had glared at Kiba's chip bag racket slipped into the river of disinfectant, but she stood, dusted herself, and trudged bravely into hour 16.

Hinata thought she could be useful. She had as much medical training as nearly any nurse. She moved to the door. Kiba stepped in front of her. She looked up, "I can help." He told her she shouldn't be seen, as a Hyuga she was easily identified. To this Hinata had mentioned how the darkness could hide her identity to which Kiba reminded her she was a patient here and not an employee. To reinforce his point he pressed his hand to her left side. Her bravo faded and she stepped away from his touch. "You have no energy to spare." He comforted her, as knowing you cannot help removes any sense of guilt of responsibility.

Sakura pulled a sheet over the face of the fifth body. The power had been out for 93 seconds and the initial deaths were mounting fast. The source of such darkness would have to be located soon, before the backup generator ran out of usefulness, as it never was meant as a permanent solution. Do you know what happened to kill the power? Last summer three children had been climbing a young oak tree for fun. Pretending to be monkeys they swung about the branches shrieking at passer byers and exploding into laughter. All three gathered on a single branch. One had brought a lunch of dumplings and something sweet. They ate themselves silly and all the while the tree branch was wincing beneath the weight. The wind of the evening wore it just enough to pull it down and into the powerline. It snapped and painted half the village, including the hospital, in black. Naruto looked out from his office window at the dark half of the city. The snow smeared across his view. From far enough away it looked as if the buildings had just vanished into thin air, but if he squinted he could see the outlines of buildings against the blurred night sky. There were different kinds of dark. He clenched his fists until his short nail left red half-moons across his palm. "Dammit Sasuke," he spat into the silence.


	7. Chapter 7

Miyu, the male hawk, had been sent for a test run to see just if Hinata would respond to Sasuke's call, but when the storm had ceased within Sasuke's view, it brewed on in Konoha. The windows there were frosted and yellowed by reflecting streetlamps. Miyu had been lulled by exhaustion to curl into fern branches two miles outside the large city gates, and he had never awoken. It was very peaceful. The cold had numbed the little bird's body and he rested still beneath two inches of snow. The red ribbon wrapped round his ankle froze into crust. All the snow had pulled Konoha into a limbo. The streets were blocked. Naruto had set to clear at least the main roads, but the constant pelting of flakes discouraged travellers. Neji's grave was hidden, like Miyu, buried in many inches of crystal snow. The wreath froze and rosemary crumbled into dust.

When the sun rose the next morning, all bloody orange, Sakura sat, knees crossed, before Naruto. Her eyes were bloodshot, but ferocious. Naruto avoided that gaze and tapped the back of his pen against the polished surface of his desk.

"What's the damage?" Naruto asked, bringing the pen horizontal between his two pointer fingers.

"24." Sakura responded, voice rough. She was tired and needed a drink of something. This was not an incurable ailment, but the weight on her chest rendered her immobile for the moment.

"I have to make a speech or something, right?" Naruto murmured, already knowing the answer, but not wanting her to leave quite yet; it had been a lonely night. He wanted to ask if she was alright, but refrained because he was acquainted well enough with her nature to know his concern was not a welcome gesture.

"Yes." Sakura confirmed.

"Should I mention Sasuke's involvement?" Naruto's voice accidentally heightened in the center of the question at his attempt to sound casual. You can't try and sound natural, as the very act of trying denies the result.

Sakura exhaled, "Naruto you don't even know he was involved. You can't just assume something because you want it to be true." She uncrossed her legs, only to cross her arms.

He met her gaze, "I don't."

"Yes," Sakura interrupted, "yes, you do. You don't want him to forget about us. You want to know we still have his attention".

Naruto didn't reply to this statement, this assessment. He was unsure of its accuracy and wanted to spring to his defenses, but didn't want to push Sakura. She was just balanced, with no room for accommodation or error lest she tumble to the stone below.

Naruto switched gears in a rare flare of social awareness, "I'll write something up. You go rest and come back in a few hours to make sure I haven't said anything stupid." He laughed then, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sakura shook her head, "I'm going back to the hospital, but I will be back by ten, so you can deliver the speech before noon. Sound good?"

Naruto thought it didn't sound good. The opposite, actually, like nails on a chalkboard. "Alright. Thank you, Sakura." Naruto set the pen on his desk, ceasing his fiddling, yet still stared at it, still feeling the impressions the ends of the pen left on the tips of his fingers.

She left without a word. Naruto dropped his forehead to his desk. The force caused the pen to roll, then drop. He left it on the wooden floor.

Every interaction he had with that woman felt painful and left him feeling as if he had done something wrong. He dozed while writing. He could hardly tell what reality was and what his dreams were due to rate he flickered between the two. He wrote a paragraph. Short and to the point. He thought, Sakura would approve, so he allowed himself entire sleep.

While Naruto slept ants trailed in from beneath the door and skittered towards the overflowing garbage bin, for beneath those papers and wrappers an apple core rotted, its sweet stench caught the attention of starving insects. They too suffered in the cold and so crawled over Naruto's sandaled toes to their salvation.

Back in the mirrorless room, Kiba and Hinata sat in silence, like times before. Except instead of being perched on the branch of some tree or lined against some brick wall, waiting, they were holed into some top floor hospital room. Silence was a comfortable thing for the both of them to share. She flipped through a book of poetry. Kiba watched the people through the window past Hinata. They sat like this a while, occasionally getting up to use the facilities. The behaved like each other were hardly there. Once in a while Kiba left rose to better his view on some happening in the streets below. His eyes would narrow and his mouth would pull back ever so slightly,

"Those shop keepers need to pay more attention to the academy kids, it's like open season out there." He thrusted his arm toward the window.

Hinata laughed, "If I remember correctly, you were one of those kids nicking apples and bracelets."

Kiba looked at her pointedly. His gaze threw Hinata off. His focus was never divided and in its entirety was profound. She smiled in it.

That was there conversation for the morning. Neither mentioned the outage. There was no point, Kiba thought, it would only make the poor girl sink back into that cesspool of guilt.

Hinata was reading the same poem for the twentieth time, by now. She read it over and over to the extent of which the words lost meaning and became simple, foreign strings of symbols on the page. Instead of consuming the poetry she let her mind wander into the many possibilities that the future was. It seemed nothing ever happened like she thought it might, or should, and so by some stretch of logic she thought is she imagined all the possibilities nothing could happen at all.

But still she knew she was to return home, like she never chose to leave, under guise of the Uchiha kidnaping story. She was to clear her sister's name and then further ruin her own by feeding information through to him. She shook her head. Kiba looked up at her a moment before appropriating his gaze at those snowy streets.

She couldn't pull this off. She was too transparent to harbour such secrets. It's a good thing—she stopped herself. What a horrible thought, but Neji would have seen through her in a glance. If Neji were here, she would never have made the decision. She respected him too much to betray him. But he was dead, and she reasoned would support her betrayal on the grounds that the Hyuga's golden age had long since passed. It was time for the Hyuga to experience humility and her sister, as sure as hell, would not be the proponent of the virtue.

There was a knock on the white door. Kiba rose to answer, and was met by Sakura, who seemed to be held up at the shoulders by fishing wire. She drifted into the room and took the chair adjacent from Hinata.

She said, "You've only told the truth to Naruto." Sakura asked through confirmation.

Hinata answered, "Yes, to my knowledge."

Sakura watched her with glassy green eyes, "I want you to tell me what happened, more accurately the exact retelling of Sasuke's role." She justified, "Something's not right."

Kiba started forward, but stopped himself. He didn't want to let Sakura scrutinize Hinata beneath her microscope, but he knew any scene he would only cause inflammation. Hinata shrunk into herself until she appeared just a mass of dark hair and pale eyes. It was challenging to watch. She stuttered, "I-I told Naruto what I remembered. There, there is probably something I don't understand myself. I've been thinking these past few days over everything, and, and I think he let me escape."

"Give yourself some credit." Kiba interjected. His arms were folded close across his chest.

Sakura clung onto this revelation, "Yes. That makes infinite sense. She paused, not looking at the small girl, "Now we need to figure out why."

Hinata sighed, "I doubt it's even a big deal. He must have mistaken me for H-Hanabi and when he realized is m-mistake, let me go."

"I guess you're right Hinata, but tell me how you're feeling." Sakura spouted her clinician routine, but was clearly not over her new found idea regarding Hinata's freedom.

"Good." Hinata said, and meant. She felt better, physically at least. Though, the amount of time spent in this little room made her feel unreal. It was like a coffin and Kiba was the grounds keeper. Her headstone would read, Hyuga, Hinata and nothing more.

Sakura moved to inspect the girl's wounds, falling back into her practitioner routine. She crudely didn't usher Kiba out of the room, but he turned to face the white door, his hands loosely in his pockets.

"You're healing perfectly, you can leave tomorrow."

Hinata blinked at the cemented deadline. "Okay, thank you for your kindness, Sakura. I'm sorry I couldn't help last night". She had to ask, "Um, How many?"

"Naruto is giving a speech at noon. Listen for the official details then, I am not authorized to give this information to patients at this time." Sakura's voice became an extension of the winter air outside, right down to the cutting ice flakes.

Kiba, faced the door. He appeared impatient or annoyed. He tapped his foot. After Sakura walked past him, through him almost, he turned to see a shriveled Hinata.

"Don't let her bother you, she is just tired from, you know, everything," he sighed.

"I know Kiba," She smiled, "thank you."

He retook his seat across from her. She rolled away from him, tucking herself into bed and willing herself to sleep. Sakura brought out her younger self. Perhaps it had to do with Sakura's connection with Naruto, but Hinata interpreted Sakura's chill as disrespect and she connected disrespect with recognition of her weakness, her pathetic nature. She wouldn't cry though, maybe if she were alone. The toxicity of her thoughts intensified and denied herself sleep. Kiba watched her, sensing her darkness. He felt the heaviness emitting from the crown of her head. He made no move to disrupt it. He was unsure how to deal with her whenever she got like this. He relied on the reality that she always seemed to pull herself out of it with some half-hearted smile. He could work with that half-hearted smile; coax it into something genuine in a moment.

It was 9:15 when Naruto was perched on the edge of his desk. He was woken by the sensation of ants meandering up past his ankles. His nerves still raced by the surprise of awakening amongst a hundred tiny, black, crawly things. He sprayed his desk with bleach. The smell was awful, but comforting in its cleansing property. He never thought he would have a desk, despite forever yearning to hold such a position. He had never ordered the linguistics of the job in his mind. Never understood the scope of his responsibility. So much seemed to be lost between the translation of dreams and reality. He was still lonely, by the way. He wanted a family of his own. A wife, a child or two. A new dream. He was a dreamer.

As it hit ten Naruto neatened his hair by smoothing his fingers through it. He pulled on his customary robes and made his way to the station. Radios had gained the status of common house hold item, which made giving such speeches faceless and far-reaching. For better and worse. The radio operator wore circle lenses and had an attractive face, his skull void of hair. Naruto cleared his throat, "Konoha, this is your Hokage Naruto. Last night at 11:00 pm there was a power outage effecting the west half of the village, including the hospital. It is most probable the outage was triggered by the blizzard. In this outage we lost 24 civilians, in care at Konoha hospital, the loss was curbed by the dedication of our skilled staff. We thank the citizens of Konoha for handling the outages with the level headed determination and patience that is characteristic of this village. It is important to remember, during these times of uncertainty, we remain in touch with who we really are. Peace be with the families of those lost. Thank you." Naruto exhaled. The glassed eye man nodded to indicate they were off air. Naruto stood and stretched. The bald, attractive man turned from him and resumed his work, which consisted of monitoring radio signals and broadcasting relevant information to the public. He said, "The weather forecast for tomorrow is heavy snow, but the wind will die down, so the effect is manageable. We recommend you refrain from spending extended periods outside and take measures to ensure safety when walking streets as ice and icicles pose hazards. Please report any icicles lager than 5 inches to the Secretary, so they can be dealt with immediately."

Naruto hadn't realized he'd been staring at the man. The man caught him, but quickly looked down because he didn't care and knew Naruto's stare had less to do with himself, but more to do with his work. He prompted in a light, yet sincere tone, "You must have things to attend to Hokage?" Naruto left, then. He walked back to his office without meeting a single soul. He felt lonely so long without non business interaction. He stood before the large window spanning behind his office chair, tall and green. He watched the snow fall onto rooftops. He watched genin shovel sow away from the center of those roofs to prevent cave-ins. He had appointed the labour this morning to some genins hopped up on the adrenaline from the crisis and novel demand.

It snowed straight for three days. Konoha's light flickered as if caught in the wind. The toll was most heavily taken at the hospital; 56. Naruto felt responsible for the crimes of Mother Nature, which was both silly and profound. He worked to assist families conserve and acquire necessities, he helped with clean up. He, by the power of clones, meant he could be everywhere at once; but only physically. He began to lose sight of Hinata's drama, focussing only on the direness of now. So, for three days Hinata sat with Kiba in that hospital room enduring varying degrees of one another's moods.

On the evening of the second day the candle on Naruto's desk was fading fast, pulling the room into darkness as it went. Naruto's hands were cold and he brought them to his mouth exhaling his warm breath over his fingertips. He tried not to be frustrated with the weather. He learned patience by and by. He also didn't think to blame the weather for the power outage. He blamed Sasuke instead. It was far too convenient. All of it. Shino had spotted Sasuke somewhere sulking in the tree lines or something, probably staring with hateful eyes at the walls Naruto had commissioned and helped build with his own hands. They hadn't been frozen then. It had been summer and Sakura had been closer. The familiar longing pulled in his chest. He needed an evening out. He supposed this weekend, he could pull Sai somewhere, not that he was the first choice for company, but desperation was a factor.

Naruto was bored, as crude as it sounds, of the snowy disaster glaring at him from the streets below, so he turned his thoughts to Hinata. He thought mostly of her relation to Sasuke, or more so what exactly Sasuke would gain by kidnapping a Hyuga. As far as Naruto was aware Sasuke was not hungering for political leverage, and Konoha had existed in relative peace with the Akatsuki since Sasuke took command. The manner of thinking, still existed over Sasuke and many of the Akatsuki and Konoha's interests aligned. Naruto decided to break everything down before it got any larger. He had ignored Hanabi's notes left with the Secretary, regarding Hinata's disappearance. He didn't want any more lies at this stage in his reasoning.

He was a visual thinker, so out he pulled a half used pad of yellow stationary and a black marker, settling into his regal chair he yawned. He drew a circle. 'K' for Konoha, he wrote in the center of the circle. A dot just outside the diameter was 'S' for Sasuke. A rectangle became the symbol for the hospital. He ran into issues because 'Hinata' and 'hospital' both began with 'H', but settled by writing hospital out in full. A triangle represented his office. The Hyuga compound became a jagged mark. He pressed the tip of his pen on the paper, and blue bloomed against white from the pressure he created.

He drew lines to symbolize relation, dragging his pen slowly he intended to make no error. He drew those thick lines until his haphazard map appeared a mangled spider's web. Hinata, he noticed, seemed the center of all this. All lines came to her. She was the common variable according to his map. At this time his attention lulled and he needed a change of focus.

Instead of analyzing his map he turned to stare past the frosted pane. The sky was starless, or at least appeared to be under cakey clouds. He exhaled, frustrated. He decided to go home. For once. He ached for one of those eight hour sleeps sprawled between cotton covers. He needed ramen as well. Something to sate the soul and by consequence, mind. Naruto stopped at a corner store and purchased instant noodles. He lazily climbed the steps to his apartment and boiled water and slurped at his dinner and undressed and passed out atop the cotton covers.

The notion of incompletion extended to the Akatsuki. Sasuke and team had not made it to a residence. They, minus Miyu, still wandered along dusty roads and blinked against foreign winds. There seemed to be a greater distance separating Earth settlements. Jugo stopped walking. He stared into the sky and scanned the treeline. He had thought, for a moment, he had seen Miyu from the corner of his eye. Sasuke slid his eyes to observe Jugo and when he didn't nod in Sasuke's direction to indicate threat, he refocussed his dark gaze forward once more. Jugo shook his head at the trick of the light.

 _A/N: It's very icy where I live, so I slipped on the sidewalk and fell off the edge of the world for a moment there. This thing has been sitting, minimized, for 8887 minutes, no joke and closed down for even longer. I need to get it off my chest, despite its imperfections and shortness. I need to get the ball rolling again, you know momentum and all that. I appreciate the reviews truly, and yes this does have a particular end in mind but I might have to take the scenic route_ _Thank you for reading, have a lovely day!_


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke sat at the mouth of a cave playing lookout for the first quarter of the night. The sun still smoldered on the horizon. It would be a clear night. Sasuke could read the stars, which since long ago had lost their sharp beauty. Now, they served only as a practical directive tool.

His shift had ended a half an hour ago, now. He, like a child, hadn't turned in yet because he was waiting on the arrival of a message. Miyu without his red ribbon bracelet, meaning the Hyuga would be able to meet with him. He saw little and relied on other senses to try and detect any sign of the messenger. Listening, he heard no beating of wings. The landscape in general had quieted; creatures inhabiting the forest had made like his teammates and nestled into nooks, curled into crannies.

Sasuke had a loud mind, full of jousting ideas. Over the years, through practiced meditation, he mastered his thoughts, but in such forgiving silence he let them free flow: Yellow hair, blue eyes, dandelion fields, and sunsets. Bloody knives, hissing tongues, bird feathers and black fingernails. Her.

Hinata returned home one evening, accompanied by her bodyguard, to a teary eyed sister. Hanabi embraced her, wrapping her arm tight around Hinata, who couldn't remember the last time this had happened. Kiba stood back. He longed to return home. It'd been about a week since he had been to his apartment or seen Akamaru. He felt rusted.

Hinata and Hanabi bubbled back and forth for a few minutes before falling away from each other. Hanabi retreated back to her room. Kiba and Hinata stood in the foyer on polished oak floors. The area was illuminated by a silver chandelier fixed with miniature lightbulbs emitting a constant white light. Washed in this light they both appeared muted. Hinata nodded a goodbye while she remembered a couple weeks prior when he had breathed sake breath into her neck. Kiba turned and lifted his hand in farewell. There was no need for him to be by her side while she was within the walls of the Hyuga compound. The walls were paper thin and the eyes of those lodged between those walls possessed the Byakugan, after all.

Naruto had determined Hinata's family's involvement in her disappearance was not of primary interest. Hinata had taken it upon herself to deter his suspicions and convincing him Sasuke had acted of his own accord. With Naruto all it took was her insistence of her sister's innocence.

She stared past frosted glass for a few minutes into that old tree, watching for Miyu. Nothing but empty, white branches on shapeless dark. Deciding her waiting was pointless she headed for bed. She slept unaccompanied for the first time in a while and it was both a lighter and heavier feeling.

Hanabi lay awake, thinking of politics and public appearance. Every day she was pulled deeper into the world of policy and business relations. She didn't feel much like herself anymore. The distance from who she was five years ago was vast, but like most people she was unable to pinpoint the source of her discomfort and remained preoccupied with the day to day of the Hyuga clan.

The sun rose. Kiba leant against those decorated oak posts waiting for Hinata to step out of the tall doors. She did and looked the same as she always had. He wasn't focused on her, though. He was with Akamaru, whose silver fur was thinning and glassy eyes were ever understanding. Hinata greeted him with her habitual bow. Kiba turned and together they walked to the market. The normalcy made Hinata tense. Kiba ignored the tension, so keeping his hands pocketed and eyes forward. They passed by many a flashy merchant cart, ignoring each to more efficiently reach their destination.

Hinata stopped in front of the flower shop. She rarely purchased flowers, being a green thumb herself, but her garden had fallen to ruin in her abandonment as Hanabi never took care of such things. She cast a sidelong glance at Kiba.

He said, "Go ahead, I'll be out here." She stepped into the humid shop onto blue tile. Ino was in the back room, Hinata could hear her bustling abut. Ino had grown tired of hospital work, and now worked nearly full time in this flower shop taking the occasional mission that suited her expertise. Hinata had a quiet presence, but the bell tied to the door alerted Ino and soon she was before Hinata in a dirt smeared apron.

"Oi Hinata, long time no see!" Hinata stepped back by habit. Ino laughed and shook her head, "Still the same as ever." Silence persisted, "I see you cut your hair, suits you."

"Thank you," managed Hinata. For some reason not seeing Ino for such a long time, caused a more nervous reaction than she would have expected.

"So what can I get for ya?" Ino smiled.

Hinata looked around at the displays, an impressive collection of flora, primarily green, white and red. A wreath of poinsettias was wilting. She wanted to purchase it because she felt pity for the thing. She saw Neij roll his eyes at her.

She decided, "I'll take a chrysanthemum". She mumbled the second half of the word.

"White, yellow, or pink?" Ino asked, not missing a beat.

"Pink," Hinata replied. Yellow didn't suit him and white would vanish compared to the snow bound to be piled in the cemetary.

She exchanged three silver coins for the beautiful thing and left the store by a chink of a tiny bell against glass. When she looked up to where Kiba had been leaning she saw nothing but paneled wood. She looked instinctively left and right to no apparent sign of her teammate. She rolled the stem between her hands.

She took his place against the wall. Wearing a lavender jacket and white flower between her palms she shivered in the cold. She smiled not of happiness. She hummed as she pushed herself off the wall. The sun was high in the sky and no snow fell. The passing people were wrapped in tons of dim fabric. She walked to where she might find him past stands of sheltered vegetables and brittle containers.

She felt she was in a place she no longer belonged, to the point where even she didn't feel comfortable turning her face down and being pulled along with the crowd. From the corner of her eyes she caught scruffy brown, which proved to be a grey lady's fur hat. She caught flash of warm tan, but this was only a stain cedar door nestled amongst the snow.

Defeated she took a seat on a bench propped beneath a tree meant for shoppers to rest the weary feet and regain enough energy to continue spending it. Hinata sat. Not to rest, but to wait. She supposed waiting near the flower shop would prove the best bet for reunification, but abandonment triggered some sort of helpless stubbornness and so she sat beneath this long armed tree awaiting discovery. None came. Night fell. The streets were ridded of people like dust from a rug and Hinata could breathe again. Newspapers blew across the trampled snow. She wished to read the headlines. An image of herself grasping after escaping newspaper was not an attractive thought, so she sat. She looked up into the tangle of branches above her. A pair of children's shoes were tied by the laces and strung up. They were green dress shoes for a girl around five. Hinata had never lost a pair of shoes in her life, actually she couldn't recall losing anything material. She thought, people seemed to be easy for her to lose.

Heaviness. It was all heaviness. She felt it coming up from her toes, around her ankles. It slid around her knees and dug into her hips only to pull her down. It was exhausting, this fight against gravity. But she stood and her knees cracked. She didn't dare stretch her arms out behind her head in public. He jacket would ride up unattractively. Kiba had left her. Had he gotten distracted? Called away? Hinata was overwhelmed by the incredible desire to run. She sprinted towards the Inuzuka compound and up the steps to a green door. She took the mail and tapped it into a neat pile. She knocked on the door. No answer. She tried the handle. Unlocked.

She stepped into the space and was hit by the musty smell of dog and aftershave. Akamaru was nowhere to be seen. He must still be under the care of Kiba's sister. An interesting girl, Hinata liked her. Hinata did what she, herself considered was best at, and cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. She began with the dishes, piled in the sink. Slime and cold water suctioned the plastic wares to one another, but she persisted and soon the rested shining in the drying rack.

She made the bed and straightened the living space and bathroom. It looked nicer now. She considered sleeping there. She had no desire to sleep amongst ever watching Huga eyes. She longed for privacy, but it might be rude to do such a thing. He was one of the few she felt comfortable with. He was transparent to her and loyal and unjudging. Like a dog.

Maybe she was dreaming. She laid on his couch she turned and gazed past the bent coffee table. Dust hung in the air. She could look for him, after all, she was equipped with the byakugan, which would aid her to an extent with locating the man. Lethargy kept her still. When she sat up, restless, dust rose with her. She was somewhere she didn't belong.

Like a lost soul she drifted back into the streets. She wasn't tired. The bruises had healed. She carried the flower to the graveyard. To the graveyard she walked. Alone. She couldn't get over such a feeling.

Hanabi had gone to sleep without care over Hinata's absence and presumed her late homecoming.

In the grave yard there was no one. Hinata pinched her arm to assure herself of her own wakefulness. She left a single half-moon print on her arm. She approached Neji. His headstone was hidden between bent, crusted grass and heavy snow. Where she remembered him to rest she inserted the flower to stand tall. She pushed snow in on the stem and held her hands around it to melt the flakes nearer together to hold the flower up. She stood and stepped back into someone. Someone taller than her and well built.

She spun, stammering, "S-sorry." She had been jarred from her peaceful state and red rose to her face. It was the Uchiha, come to reiterate contact.

"Don't apologize for something that's not your fault. Though you should have noticed me."

It was hardly her fault regarding that fact, but she nodded in appreciation of his sentiment anyway.

Avoiding his gaze she said, "I didn't notice Miyu."

"You didn't notice because he never came. He's lost."

"Dead or unfound," Hinata clarified.

"Probably dead," Sasuke reasoned," He was well trained."

"Speaking of unfound. You didn't do anything with Kiba did you?"

"The fool's out behind a garbage can."

"Oh. He'll be cold, you should at least have brought him home."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched upward, breaking his masked expression, "No, I shouldn't have. You would have found him and this conversation wouldn't be happening."

"Oh."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice, "I need to know if Naruto has, in his possession, a particular document. It's recent, involving what you saw in the caravan. I want you to bring them to me so I can confiscate them and any copies he may have; also if you are able uncover whether or not Naruto has invested anything into the means of its production."

She shifted her weight and glanced towards the flower emerging from the ground.

"For Hyuga, Neji." Sasuke acknowledged.

Hinata stiffened, unsure of how he knew where Neji was buried. A conformation, "Yes."

"You will do as I ask?" He asked.

Hinata nodded, "To the best of my ability, but I must inform you that espionage is not my specialty." She laughed.

"You have the ability." He glanced up from her, "We'll meet here same time next week. Meet me whether or not you have succeeded."

"I will."

And he was gone. Hinata looked at the chrysanthemum one last time and began towards the gates. She ought to locate Kiba, know she was sure he did not abandon her of his volition, so she allowed herself to care about his wellbeing.

Back to the flower shop, now closed, a black and white sign on the door was flipped reading, "Sorry…Closed!" Someone had drawn a flower with a frowny face in the bottom right corner. Hinata returned its expression, activating her Byakugan. She stepped in a circle, scanning the vicinity. Sure enough an acute, familiar energy lingered just behind a large metal object. A garbage can.

How to wake Kiba up? She couldn't carry him through Konoha streets. She couldn't even lift him. With caution she stepped into the ally way. She held her right fist to her chest. The alleyway was stout, only intruding about nine feet or so from the main road and was empty except for two large waste depositories, one labelled 'plant waste', the other read nothing; a silent indication of inclusivity.

When she peaked over the bin Kiba lay amongst a couple beer bottles, which Hinata supposed were props placed by Sasuke to mitigate suspicion in case of discovery. Let a drunk man sleep, after all.

Kiba lay supported by his left cheek and knees. An unflattering orientation. Hinata knelt next to him. Tilting her head to watch his expression she poked at his right cheek. No sign of life. She settled on maneuvering him into a more comfortable, kind position. She pulled each leg straight. He sighed at the release of tension. He now lay flat on his stomach. Hinata still sat on her knees. A shock to the system might do the trick. Around her lay only a small amount of snow due to the tucked away nature of this place. She scraped at the cold and pressed a handful into a sturdy chunk. Some melted and dampened her hands. She folded the bottom of Kiba's jacket over itself just so the small of his back was showing and slathered the ice onto it.

Kiba jolted back to the living. He seemed to be left out of breath and he sat a minute, leaning back on both his palms, and glanced around at his surroundings. The burgundy triangle on the left half of his face had smudged to look like the coloring often adorning the cheeks of a working girl. It made him look more flabbergasted than he was. Hinata sat before him blinking, holding her hands suspended, caught still in the act.

"You," Kiba accused. He gulped, "Why are we back here?"

Hinata's eyes drifted upwards in thought. She hummed, "I'm not sure. I remember stopping in a bar. There was a bet, and now," she stated matter of fact, "We are here."

Kiba rubbed the back of his head, "really, because the last thing I remember was being asked for change by some man while I was waiting outside Ino's shop."

Hinata laughed, "You've become a drunkard, Kiba."

He stopped, "Since when do you drink?"

"Um, I've had drinks before."

"Ah, of course." He rubbed his eyes, "Which is why you're in better shape than I am at the moment." He leant forward and looked dead into her eyes, "You got me drunk and dumped me behind this garbage can to go run off on your own for a bit, didn't you?"

Hinata rolled with his punches, "Yes, of course. I had to buy you a gift. You couldn't see." She spoke with her underdeveloped sarcasm and laughed into her sleeve. Kiba stood then and brushed himself off.

He turned to leave, "I hope you realize I don't believe you," He glanced over his shoulder at the stunned girl still kneeling on the ground. He shook his head, "Whatever. I'll walk you home."

Hinata rose and fell into step beside him, who stared ahead without seeing. "You know," he said, "you can tell me if something or someone is bothering you." He looked at her awaiting her response.

She looked at him, "I know Kiba, but it's nothing unusual. Just Hyuga things for my sister."

Kiba sighed, "You should have been the head."

Hinata brushed her hair behind her ear. Kiba watched her hand. She said, "I, I don't have that 'decisive charisma."

Kiba shrugged, "You're smarter, though, more careful. Hanabi is an irrational bitch sometimes."

Hinata refused to acknowledge his comment and the pair reached their destination following total silence. Hinata wished Kiba a goodnight, and he reciprocated. She entered the compound and filed herself back between those paper walls and under the watch of her kin.

Kiba shuffled back, stopping to pick Akamaru up from his sister's place. She was as vibrant as always. He led Akamaru back to his apartment and carried him up the couple flights due to Akamaru's rusted joints. Set him down before the green door. Kiba felt for his key, but when he went to unlock the door he realized it was already unlocked. He stepped forward and did a quick sweep of the place to ensure no unwanted company. He carried Akamaru to the blanket laid beside his bed and stroked his nose.

He unzipped his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head. He needed a shower, but first something hot to drink. He went to grab a mug from the coffee table. None existed, which prompted him to inspect the rest of his place. His possessions were stacked and sorted. The surfaces were wiped. His sister? No, Hinata probably did this. At least he didn't have anything embarrassing lying about. He shut himself into the bathroom.

Sasuke left Konoha with Karin, who had lingered just outside the cemetery during Hinata's and his discussion.

Karin said, "This seems like more trouble than its worth."

To that, like most things, Sasuke said nothing.

A/N: Yo, so anyway thank you for reading. I'd appreciate any feedback you have to give. I hope you have a lovely day


	9. Chapter 9

For a battle born leader, Naruto was naïve and unsuspecting. Nothing in Naruto's office was locked. He had a ring of keys hung next to his apartment door, but they rusted into a relic that could unlock nothing but a mermaid's heart. Hinata crouched behind a snow drift watching for the office to close. Once it was she could gauge the layout of the place; previously, she had made a point of avoiding this and its few street radius because of his blue eyes. Snow wasn't falling, and in fact it hadn't for a few days now. The landed snow was blackened and uneven, dying for a fresh coat. Behind her was a high reaching lamp post, from which a tiny bulb sputtered.

At nine the secretary swung out of the place. She shrugged into a fur coat and turned to lock together the two plane glass doors. She gave a test pull and the doors proved sealed. The lock was nationalistic, a folded golden leaf, delicate, but reinforced with chakra. Hinata could see its knot of energy vibrating out from the center. The secretary wobbled away. By the unkind, uneven streets she looked like a frail colt and Hinata felt pity for her.

When the secretary disappeared out of both eye and ear shot Hinata walked up to the door. She folded her hands in front of her stomach only to untangle them and knock onto the glass. The knocking sound was full and light. It tasted sharp.

Naruto had his feet kicked up and crossed onto his polished oak desk and rolled a bottle of sake between his fingers. How was he supposed to hear a tiny knocking noise from three stories downwards? In truth, Hinata never wanted to be acknowledged. She merely intended to test whether or not someone would answer. And since no face appeared weary, but smiling to notify her of closing times the immediate coast should be clear.

She covered the leaf lock with her palm and focused on the humming energy. She could stun it, the chakra, which would disable the most secure component of the lock, and then pick the mechanical part. It took a few shots but soon the energy fell limp and she knelt to break into the government building. She glanced up and down the street, wary of alert eyes. The lock was really only meant to keep civilians and academy kids out. It snapped open as she reminded herself to deny the pride she felt at her success. Pushing the door open triggered no alarm, like she thought it might, and instead she was met by the sound of a resting building, relatively silent, but distinct from any outdoor space.

She walked behind the desk and rummaged through the shelves, nothing but empty sheets, post notes with contextless dates and times. A guest book with six signatures was kept on the white front desk. Each signature lay across from a date spanning between three months ago and now. More than six people had visited. The rest proceeded without providing documentation, and that captures the attitude of Nin. Hinata smiled. Nothing of honest worth was kept here. The records in the basement might prove more useful, but with a form so pertinent wouldn't have been filed away to collect dust quite yet. She glanced at the stairway and on a whim removed her sandals and stepped up the concrete stairs, so her steps would be indistinguishable from the snores of the building.

There weren't any guards. There was no need, and besides human resources were better used elsewhere. The lock, and the Hokage, were supposed to be enough. Nobody inside Konoha was supposed to want to break into the Hokage's office. The hall was wide and curved inward to grant the building its circular shape. She shrunk into the center of the building, against the right wall. The wall was panelled wood and stood unscathed. The beginnings of dust lined the baseboards. Grit lay sprinkled across concrete and some clung to the soles of her feet. She walked down the hall and caught Naruto's kicked back presence. She wanted to see him outside the hospital. Person to person rather than Leader to perceived victim and actual traitor. Maybe she needed a chance to speak one on one, for a last time.

He didn't notice her. Not until she tapped on his door, after pulling her sandals back on. He stopped swirling the contents of his glass to scrutinize the wooden door. He thought it might be the secretary, with either urgent news or some personal suggestion. He opened the door to Hinata, who avoided his eyes with her own. She looked past him, into the tall scantily decorated room. She noticed sticky rings on the desk and an over filled garbage can. The curtains were pulled back into irrelevancy. They were dark green and textured in a cross hatch pattern. Naruto's eyes were heavy and night ocean blue. He was warm and buzzed. She was still in love and flat lining. Such a child she was.

"What're you doing here?" He brought his hand up to grip the back of his neck. He watched her cast away eyes and asked, "How'd you get in here?"

She replied, "I didn't feel like going home."

"Did you run away?"

She raised her eyebrows at his broad question. He saw something familiar, but not entirely Hinata in that expression.

"No, just needed some refreshing company." She smiled. He couldn't see past this comment, was dumb to its falseness.

"I guess living with people that never leave you alone can be tough."

"It's not that, really, it's just tense there."

"I'd agree with that."

Silence persisted, and then he stepped aside, "Come on in. Make yourself at home. Or don't; whatever's more comfortable."

She focused on the corners of the room. None of the walls appeared false and the cabinets were mostly empty. The desk was the main target, but of course while he was in here with her. There was nothing she could do. She took the seat across from the high backed one facing away from the window. A notable draft came from the enormous window.

He plopped back into his seat. The way he breathed, she noticed, was strong. She was such a girl. He offered her a drink, to which she accepted. He trusted her, she could tell. He didn't examine her, like Kiba, but didn't write her off like her sister. He accepted her. The sentiment was mutual, Hinata acknowledged.

He pushed himself into the edge of the desk, casual enough, but it seemed like Hinata he was worried over something. With his torso he covered a drawer. The desk only had one, long and thin, without lock. Papers scattered the surface as well, stuck together by habit and rings of sticky residue. Hinata felt the mess like a presence, imposing and sharp. It made her uncomfortable and detracted from her focus. She wasn't a neat freak. She could handle the natural dishevelment of somewhere lived in, but the way this was. Revolting. Naruto didn't mind, of course this space was his other home and he treated it as such ignoring the fact that this space was, accompanied by his face, what represented Konoha. Hinata caught herself in such shallow judgements and shamed herself. She smiled in her realization. She was a tender footed Hyuga woman at heart.

"Naruto," she said.

She hadn't said it to catch his attention. She already had it. The word just slipped out as extension of her thoughts. He watched her face, a smooth surface, but in its stillness suggested current beneath, like a frozen river. He felt tenderness towards her, she was nostalgic to him. He sipped at his sake, she at her own.

And he remembered something. He recalled the dusty day of her confession, in all its brave and stupid glory. He thought, why hadn't he appreciated it? It was done in a reflection to his own blunt style of communication. It seemed strange that it had shocked him. And he hated to admit it but he hadn't liked what she had done. He sort of hated her for it, in a way. It wasn't her. He could accept her, but not her old feelings toward him. Not when presented in desperation, so unlike herself.

She idolized him, he thought, and this simple fact bothered him because he didn't feel like a hero, not really. He felt, still, a need to prove himself; his competence and strength and he found her admiration off putting and made a point of ignoring it.

Naruto didn't think her unattractive, but he tended more to get along better with more abrasive women. He worked better with them. She was pretty though, in a serene way. This girl sitting before him now with inky hair curling just to her collar bone and shining white eyes said:

"I've been thinking of resigning." The idea came to her as a solution. She was in gaining info supposed to pull closer, but if she knew anything about Naruto it was that pulling away would cause him to pull closer.

A million questions ran through Narutos mind and only one fell past his lips, "When?"

Hinata answered, "For a while now. I've begun to realise I'm not very suited to Shinobi life." She let her posture bend, folding to appear small. She gazed into the floor.

"So you're just giving up?" Naruto watched her. His tone was not unkind, but the girl appeared broken by it.

She sighed, "When we were kids, I wanted to be like you. I dreamed I could be strong and vibrant, like you. I thought that was love "She paused. He watched her and listened entirely. He set his glass atop a stack of crisp white papers. The world behind him, past the window, was the darkest, most ominous of backdrops. She finished, "but the time for dreams is over, don't you think? I need to accept my place." Naruto bit his tongue. She wasn't finished talking.

"I've always be good with children."

Naruto blurted, "You want to teach? I can arrange a place at the academy-"

"No, I think I want to settle down. Leave all my foolish clambering to become something I cannot. Maybe become a Mother. I think that's a fine destiny."

"You're getting married?" He had heard no gossip pertaining to the subject, but then again Hinata had never been one to wave her personal life around at the end of a flag pole.

"No, but with my family, they have good connections. Finding a husband shouldn't be an issue."

Naruto watched her groomed expression. He was thrown off by her dismissal of everything she'd tried for her life, disgracing all the sacrifices herself and others had made along the way. Who made her feel this way about herself?

"Did Hanabi ask you to do this?"

"No. It's true I've been told throughout my life to pursue a domestic life, but I promise you this is my own decision." She watched him for any hint of opinion. His brow pulled together and his hands clamped into fists.

He started, "I'm sorry, but I just can't respect that. You've worked too hard for so long."

She interjected, "Persistence means nothing without ability."

He spat, "What was that engraved on your headboard as a child? Of course persistence means something. It's important to never give up."

"I'm not giving up. I'm only moving on. "He rose and moved to stand beside her. She looked up at him.

"Listen," he said, "If this has anything to do with my not allowing you to become ANBU, know I made that decision for selfish reasons."

She had him. He continued, "I know you can do it, you have this ability to never let anything go bad, get worse. I only declined your application because I see what the division does to Shinobi. From the first mission they are never the same."

"Maybe I don't want to be the same." He looked into her face and could see a thousand tears behind her eyes. She allowed one or two to escape for dramatic effect. He looked away before pulling her up.

"Here, let me show you something. Proof of your value as a Shinobi."

He walked toward the exit. She kept her eyes on the drawer in the desk. She said," The success rates in the files have little to do with me. I always have such a talented team."

Naruto stopped just before the door. He stared into the solid oak. Heat shot out from his meridian. Pure anger coursed through his veins. He wasn't mad with her. He was angry with her refusal to acknowledge her worth. If only it was modesty, or a call for his attention, but Hinata didn't work that way; she did not want acknowledgement from others. Acceptance from others were inconsequential to her opinion of herself. She saw herself in such bright, scrutinizing light. Blinding, he thought. To herself she was her harshest critique, beating out even her hard family. It seemed strange to him because in this way she was exact opposite. He relied on the gestures and words of others for his worth. He had an ideal and he worked toward it knowing progress by other's acknowledgements. Hinata didn't want that. She wished to be strong in her own eyes. Nothing else mattered.

He faced her and she smiled, so the boy kissed the girl. She stood arms at her side and he rested one hand on her hip and the other to the side of her face. One kiss to then move an inch away, but he didn't look into her face, due to some kind of fear. She didn't pull away and so he pressed his lips to her again and again.

Her eyes fluttered open as his hand slid higher, catching and raising her shirt, to rest on waist. He pulled her into himself, knowing that despite this wouldn't go much of anywhere he wanted to keep kissing her. HInata let him, she was curious about the feeling, but her open eyes found the desk drawer.

She needed to focus to the task at hand. The document had to be kept in that desk drawer. He began walking her to the leftward wall, where the shelf of glasses was hung. Apprehension was like cool, fast water down her back. He nestled his face into her neck and laughed. The air from his mouth was hot and comforting. Hinata laughed too, because she did know that mirroring another person's actions, she thought, was functional social behavior. He began kissing her shoulder, trailing up her neck, enjoying the texture and smell of her skin. And that was enough. Hinata brought her hand to tangle in his hair at the nape of his neck. She tracked the chakra circulating through him, vibrant. He slid his hand past the small of her back. The smallest interruption would cause eventual depletion and he would pass out. If she could pull off a blockage in the neck, behind the ear, it should be a harmless knockout. Her heart skipped a beat. His Kyuubi energy could complicate things. She should shut off access to the pool in his stomach first lest she trigger an episode.

For the first time she moved a hand to his side. He sighed into her touch and so she held her hand above his waistband to create the thinnest and strongest of blockages, like a spider's webbing. He slowed, only by a fraction. He pulled back and looked at her, a question on his face.

"Hey," he rasped, "Do you want to come home with me?"

She blushed at that, as she had never been asked for such a thing and part of her wanted to agree. Instead she kept to the path towards her original goal and interrupted the chakra flow between his brain and the rest of his body. He should fall out of awareness due to lack of energy any minute now, so she just stared at him. His eyes were heavy and ocean blue. His brow furrowed as he registered his exhaustion.

"Come sit with me," he said, pulling her towards that high-backed green chair. He fell into it, dragging her with him. She landed sloppily on his stomach. He interlocked his fingers between hers before draping his arms around her shoulders to pull her into his chest. His breath deepened and slowed. He buzzed a small snore. Hinata blushed in humiliation. The things she's done this past month, she shook her head. Faster and faster she felt herself losing grasp of herself and respective truth.

She glanced at the drawer and from beneath his arms she pulled it open, her eyes flicked to his face as she experienced childish doubt in her abilities effectiveness. She pulled the drawer open. A surprisingly empty thing. A few pens rolled at her disturbance and a calendar book was dusty. A gift from Sakura. The note still stuck to the front cover read, "Cheers to a more organized New Year XO Sakura." And she wondered why Naruto couldn't get it through his thick skull that she didn't see him in that flattering, romantic light. Three folders were stacked and shoved into the back corner. Two were empty and labeled with inconsequential nonsense, "P30-56, NHA 234." The third was unlabelled and she pulled it out. A thin file full of these same plans she had seen in that caravan. . Exact to the ones she and Sasuke had burned. The papers stuck to the file holder for being pressed together for so long. She doubted he had any copies made or even planned to pursue what was illustrated in the file folder. Still she untangled herself from him and stepped toward the door. Her glass. There was no sink to wash it, so she downed the remaining half of alcohol and flipped it upside-down and placed it back on the shelf. She left, without glancing over her shoulder.

When Naruto awoke he reached to his chest, confused when his fingertips didn't meet indigo hair. He straightened up. Stretched his arm behind his neck to three satisfying clicks. Was it a dream? He gazed into the leftward wall. No. If it was, there would have been more explicit. His unconscious was not a demure thing. He wondered where on earth she'd left to. He rose and caught the sunrise just beginning. Orange furled at the edges of deep grey-blue sky.

Three floors downward Kiba had watched her leave. A mixture of disappointment and annoyance triggered an eye roll as she fell into step with the other early risers. Kiba needed a conversation with the Hokage. That idiot. He had the beginnings of a headache already.

He pushed the door opened. He held the door open for the secretary, whose eye makeup was fresh and hair smoothed back. She let out an appreciative, "Hm"

Kiba climbed those concrete steps unconcerned over how loud his steps were, still Naruto did not hear, for he wasn't listening. Kiba knocked. Naruto regarded the door as it had just yelled. He approached it and opened, half hoping it would not be who he saw as he opened up.

"What do you want?"

Kiba walk past him into the office, "How's Hinata?"

"How should I know? Besides, aren't you supposed to be with her?"

Kiba shook his head. He looked up to the ceiling and laughed, "No, she's pretty determined to ditch me at any poor excuse." He shrugged, "I can't protect someone, who doesn't want protection."

"Treat it like any other mission. You wouldn't let a grouchy old man outta sight just because he found you annoying."

Kiba cast a sidelong glance at Naruto, "This is different, and honestly she doesn't need the protection. If Sasuke needed her he would've been back already."

Kiba turned to leave. Naruto added, "You can't just quit a mission because you feel like it. I assigned it for a reason, Hinata needs you."

Kiba stopped and turned halfway to face him, "I'm not asking your permission."

"I'm not going to pay you for an incomplete mission," Naruto threatened. He couldn't discipline underlings that at one point had been his peers. They still regarded him as that obnoxious, orange child.

Kiba continued his motion of leaving, "Great."

Naruto let him go. What was he supposed to do? Like he could talk Kiba into sticking with the mission. Kiba's sourness wasn't new, but aimed at Hinata it was. Naruto wondered aimlessly.

Kiba, on the other hand, payed the ordeal not a second of contemplation. He returned home and lay beside Akamaru, who drew shallow breaths. Kina kept his eyes locked to the short rise and fall of his best friend's belly and felt numbness.

Naruto turned back to his desk, but ignored the papers and just stared past the window into the village streets and when he saw the faceless moving freely and inconsequentially he felt a twinge of regret. This high place, his position, was isolationing and high pressure. Isolation was easier when no one expected anything from you. This now was some kind of perverted isolation where people acted like they knew you, smiled, waved, but wouldn't speak. For a moment he wished for a glare, a gaze of disapproval. Nostalgia's a poison; takes away from the present.

He glanced at his desk and only saw one glass, his own, but she had one. Now, did she return it to where it belonged out of kindness, or did she not want him to remember. Her glass, upside-down, he flipped and smelt. Alcohol, unwashed. She had hoped he would write the moments off. Too bad for her something like last night was not something he would forget and wasn't ideal enough to be a dream. It was restrictive reality, Naruto knew, and the fact that Hinata had tried to ignore it bothered him.

Anyway, Hinata needed guarding. Naruto didn't trust her to take care of herself in this moment. So, he walked and wrote a telegram to Shino. It demanded his presence at his office immediately. Naruto sent it and within a minute a knocking was at the door. Who shows up so soon after a summoning? A shiver ran up Naruto's spine as he turned to greet the bug Nin. Naruto stared into black lenses back before letting him into the office.

"Shino," he said, "I have a mission for you." Shino nodded and so Naruto continued, "the mission requires you to observe Hinata Hyuga."

Shino's face was blank, but he had questions. Why was the Hokage asking him to spy on his teammate?

Naruto added, "You will start now and until further notice exercise tactical observation over Hinata Hyuga. We will meet every three days for you to update me, and you are to come to me immediately if necessary."

Naruto cringed under Shino's gaze. Shino was looking past Naruto out the window. This mission, what was the point? The details weren't nonexistent, which made him question whether Naruto assignment was based in national interest, or personal. Whichever, Shino accepted that, he always did, but still he was curious about such an assignment.

Painful moments passed for Naruto and Shino lost track for how long he'd been silent, and unlike HInata did not feel to interject some worthless comment in an effort for social grace.

Naruto said," Alright, well see you Wednesday, then."

Shino held up a hand in farewell and acknowledgement of Naruto's words. One of his bugs crawled up from his wrist and creeped across his hand.

Naruto noticed and unconsciously dusted off the back of his hand. Shino left then, satisfied with the whole interaction. How long had it been since he'd seen HInata? He hadn't had a mission alongside her for at least a couple years now. He never saw her in the streets, because he made a point of not walking them. He took alleyways and rooftops now a days, for his own comfort. The nature of Konoha streets were something he exposed himself as least as possible. Everyone was pumped full of urgency and the atmosphere stressed out his bugs. He supposed Naruto was right in giving a mission to someone like himself. Invisible and unapproachable, besides he had an extra thousand set of eyes. Eyes that weren't fooled be preconceptions or opinion. Discrete and potent, that was his bug's specialty. And so he would succeed. Whatever Naruto suspected about HInata, he would see it, he swore.

A/N: If this chapter had a name it would be "Push and Pull" But this chapter can't be the only one with a title. That would be unfair. We can't have that. Review if you please, they make me smile. The kind that reach my eyes and make me appear less of a troll, if only for a moment. Peace.


	10. Chapter 10

Not the flame, but the embers. He sat on a tree branch his left leg folded over his right. It was cold and he sighed, exhaling and feeling his warm breath pass over his own lips. His team was back in the earth country and definitely bickering. Whatever. It was inefficient for him to make his way all the way back to spin on his heels and leave the moment he arrived. So, he waited. He used meditation to kill time. Closing his eyes he brought awareness to his breath, which as a fire nature was of particular potence. He rested his palms over his knee caps.

It was midday and a woodpecker broke his silence. Broke it like one does an ex-lover's portrait rather than quiet, like a promise. For all of Sasuke's will he was irritated. Most times he was able to push past the feeling, but with this creature as ignorant of its surroundings as to disturb him for an unknown duration was angering. Sasuke hated the thing. He was not a tolerant man. To quiet it his black eyes snapped open to locate it within a second. Annoyance swirled at his temples and he burnt the bird to a crisp by firing a single stream of flame to hit the centre of its chest. Cruel, except understandable in light of Sasuke's chronic, flawless arrogance. The woodpecker floated as ashes downward to the snow and Sasuke settled back into calm.

For three days he had to wait and he burned time the first day into the second with ease, but the third day, the morning of when he would meet her in the graveyard, he was restless. He suppressed the desire to revisit the Inn where, for Sasuke's misfortune, Shino enjoyed isolation. He watched the clouds and shifted as to stretch his neck muscles. Spending so much time alone in the wood, it seemed he was becoming a part of it.

He didn't wonder, not for a second, whether Hinata had succeeded in her mission. Wondering and theory crafting about the outcome, was a waste of energy. He was a patient man in this respect, because his wait had a foreseeable end. Still, he was tired of the scenery. The white branches and occasional evergreen bleeding against grey sky, and due to his blurry eyes the world in this spot looked like a smear of black to white oil paint. He couldn't see, but his features were flushed. His ears and nose were berry red. Sasuke exhaled in resignation and knocked his head back into the trunk of the tree. Snow fell into his hair. Feeling the cold weight he opened his eyes to glare into the distance before brushing himself off and jumping from the branches of his offender.

Walking would be good for him. His legs were sore, but you wouldn't know by watching him, and he strode deeper into the forest. When the sun fell a quarter more into the sky, around 5 O'clock, he would make his way back into Konoha. He wouldn't have Karin, this time. He sent her back after assigning Hinata the mission. It was for selfish, petty reasons. He didn't want to deal with Karin alone, in every sense, for three days. He understood the consequence of having to infiltrate Konoha without her eyes at the time he sent her off, but reconciled this solitary mission would be a decent test for himself. Just because it was easier, and low risk to get past those walls with Karin didn't mean he couldn't on his own. He thought it might be a challenge to do so by himself. He could do for a challenge. Thirsted for one.

In Konoha, Hinata rolled over in her sheets. She, for once from the time she'd been small, had indulged in an afternoon nap. One of Shino's bugs lingered on the window sill, casting a long pin-thin shadow across the wooden floor. Hinata sighed awake. Her mouth felt clammy and she shifted her tongue around her mouth in rejection of the feeling. She stepped one foot after the other, out of bed. She couldn't define it, but in her grog she experienced a sense of finality. It wasn't unusual for her to feel an apprehension so intense it caused a sense of impending doom. She often felt it before long missions, regardless of their calculated risk, and she had long ago conquered the feeling; or at least learned to shrug it aside. She leant against her windowsill. The bug skittered out the way of her palm. She gazed into the tree, which no longer served a purpose, but still she stared. It was beautiful. She regarded the twists of the branches and the grace of the occasional knots. The snow spread like butter cream icing over the branches. And she hummed out the door. Shino's bug trailed a few meters behind.

"Hinata!" Came Hanabi's voice from the kitchen.

Hinata did not call back, but instead met Hanabi in the kitchen. "What do you need?" Hinata croaked and she cringed at the sound of her voice. Her brow furrowed upon taking in Hanabi's state. She wore wrinkled clothes and her eyes bloodshot.

Hanabi looked away from Hinata, quiet in the way she was trying to organize her thoughts before she spoke. "It's strange," she mused, "how life just ends." She shook her head, cleared her throat and announced, "Elder Hyuga Hui passed away last night, in his sleep. Just stopped breathing. There wasn't any poison that I could tell, so I wrote his death was of natural cause." Her voice wavered to the end of her words.

Hinata moved to comfort her sister. She took Hanabi's hands into her own saying, "I'll arrange the service." Traditionally, it was the head who made the funeral arrangements, but considering Hanabi's state, Hinata stepped in to bear the responsibility.

Hanabi nodded. She held back her tears best by not speaking. How she wished for a strong husband to hold her through times like these. She just had Hinata, who although kind was the most foolish person she'd ever met. Hinata willingly took on such responsibility. She should be bitter to bear after losing the title Hanabi held. And without bargaining! Hinata could have asked for almost anything in return for her services. Hanabi was prepared to offer anything.

"Come, "Hinata soothed and lead Hanabi towards her room. She tucked her in like a child at two in the afternoon. "I'll make you tea," Hinata suggested, moving to leave.

"Cookies too," Hanabi gulped.

Hinata smiled with warm eyes, "I thought that was implied."

Hanabi snuggled into her sheets and her pillow was soiled by sadness. She sniffled as Hinata came back into the room with a plate of sugar cookies and tea on tray. Pressed between her arm and side was a box of tissue papers.

Without a word Hinata turned to leave, when Hanabi broke, "I'm not even that sad. Why can't I stop crying?" She barred her teeth in a perverse smile. She was disturbed by such a domestic death. No dramatic gore, no valiant sacrifice. Just death and it bothered her because she was afraid her fate would one night be the same.

Hinata nodded to comfort the girl and offered a blue sleeping pill. Hanabi reached for it and swallowed it without water. She was desperate to escape the stress of wakefulness. She nibbled on cookies, yawning in between bites until the pill took its effect. Hinata left after watching Hanabi's lashes fall together.

There was little to do besides order the funeral arrangements. Hinata was still not be called for missions. She hadn't seen Naruto since the night in his office, which failed to indicate whether her plan to make him assume their interaction was a dream spawned by intoxication had worked.

The coroner's shop was a hole in the wall just off Main Street. The sign to the place read "Serenity Coroners" and it creaked in the wind. The door was black set against the staple oak by which Konoha stood. There was a gold grate and when HInata knocked it slid open to real a set of large green eyes. They crinkled in sick glee upon recognizing HInata's eyes; the trademark of the Hyuga. The coroner would surely milk this for all she could.

"Hello," the mortician greeted.

"I need to order a coffin," She added, "please."

"Sure, sure," said the mortician. "So," she wrung her hands together, "Who bit the dust?"

"Hyuga Hui passed last night." The mortician nodded in feigned recognition.

"Dimensions?"

Hinata estimated, "6 by 3"

"A giant of a man. Will cost more." Her voice was wet, each word punctuated by saliva snapping against her tongue.

"Alright. I need it for the day after next."

"Extra for priority constructing." The way this woman jerked and twisted her body when she spoke, made Hinata wonder how she could create such ornate, meticulous coffins.

"That's fine," Hinata conclude and turned as the mortician's green eyes flash gold. She left, unaware of her shortness, her sureness. Shino noticed from the rooftop across the street. Something about her was different, off, which caused concern in Shino. She hadn't wavered, stuttered once. Usually she did, especially when asking for anything.

He watched the people moving as a mass through the street and Hinata step out to be swept along with them. Shino didn't dare send a bug to nestle into her clothes or skin. He figured she'd be far too familiar with him not to notice even the smallest extension of his presence too close.

The sunset set the sky on fire and so night fell over the land like ash. The path to the graveyard was well tread; wide and flat. Hinata walked through the center. Keeping her head low she twirled a stalk of lavender between her fingers. It would appear strange, if any one were to see her, to approach the graveyard without a token of remembrance, she thought. Shino watched her daydream her way into the graveyard.

Sasuke hung back in the tree line meeting the base of the walls of Konoha. He watched the small orange beacons circulate the top. Guards in the towers stood still, with binoculars over their eyes, angled toward the horizon. More patrolled the actual walls, the orange lights strapped to their foreheads and various weapons in their fists or tied to their backs. Sasuke waited for the shift turnover. He felt the atmosphere lighten as shifts drew to a close and newbies arrived. Newbies were always assigned the latest shifts. The guard stepped to greet his pal, who was to begin from midnight to dawn.

Sasuke crouched, then bolted up the wall. His stealth got him past and he clung to the internal side of the wall, looking for an adequate spot to drop down. The ground just beneath the wall was littered with trip wires and explosives. He could see two, four, six lines gleam in the moon light. It might have been mistaken for ice or dew, but Sasuke knew better.

He slip down to land nearest to the wall. He pressed against it and held his palms to the stone as to not stray into the center. Ten feet across from him stood a standard chain link, electric fence with barbed wire along the top, which only served to keep civilians out of the way of the traps. Put the fear of electrocution into them. Sasuke then walked out, head high, stepping to avoid wires and around places where the ground bubbled over bombs.

The fence was live. He charged his hands, and slammed then against the wires. Blue light shocked the dark. The air shivered and stung the back of Sasuke's mouth. The hum of the fence turned to a sizzle which faded to nothing in moments. Sasuke climbed up the dead fence, poking his toes through the gaps and pulling himself over the barbed wire topping the thing. His sleeve caught and pulled his skin into a barb. He paused and lifted his arm down and away from the notch while blood spurted from his wound. He continued onward in no obvious state of pain, though blood came through his sleeve to stream down to his fingertips.

Blood dripped to the snow, so Sasuke stepped into an alleyway and tore the ruined sleeve to serve as a bandage, just so he didn't leave a red trail. The wound was diagonal across his forearm, two by one inches and deep enough to cause nausea. Sasuke pressed on. He ignored the wound. It was minor compared to some he'd sustained, at more inconvenient times. He might get Hinata to patch him up for the way back, maybe. He, for all his aptitude, lacked medical prowess. He could get by, but to prevent permanent damage to his right arm, it might be best to take the hit to the ego and ask for aid. For the sake of future plights, he reasoned he needed the full, untainted use of his right arm.

The graveyard stretched, silent over a block or so and beneath spindled branches of dormant trees. Hinata stood before Neji's gave, her head ducked forward in solidarity. Sasuke watched her and pulled his hood further over his eyes and he moved forward. Shino crouched, rapt behind a snow drift. Cast in shadow, he stared foreword, and didn't dare peak over to see the pair. That man. His energy was both unrelenting and contained, fluctuated at such a rate the opposites felt an uncanny, dangerous one of the same.

It had to be him. Shino entertained for a moment, it could be Naruto. He did, after all, had a similar way about him, but never so dark. It had to be the Uchiha. And Hinata was meeting with him. Shino's mind boiled like hot tar.

Sasuke stepped next to Hinata, so they both stared into the etches that were Neji's memorium. He waited for her to speak.

She reached into her coat a pulled out the file. She had wrapped it in brown paper and tied it in grey twine for it to seem a discreet, unsuspecting package. Sasuke took it from her, indenting the papers between his thumb and forefinger. When his arm extended the wound was revealed under cold lamppost light. Hinata held onto the package as well a moment. She hadn't meant to, but got stuck in the motion out of surprise at the blood. Had he got into a fight? No, she thought, he was to calm and the night was too quiet.

He watched her eyes stare at the gash and waited for her to jar away from it, flustered, and let go of the papers. She didn't and seconds past when she opened her mouth.

He interrupted pre-emptively, "its fine." He lost the nerve to ask for help under her gaze.

"Oh," she looked back at the stone. He appreciated her dropping it. Most didn't, he knew, the only person that let things be so well mannerly was Jugo, and that only pertained to himself. Hinata treated everyone with this respect. He brought his left hand to apply pressure to the wound.

The motion caught Hinata's eye and she looked back at him, "What's left to do?"

Three rows back and two stone left, an unnatural insect creeped in between the numbers of someone's birth date. Sasuke notified, "We're leaving."

Hinata gasped in her quiet way and her eyes went wide. After surprise dulled she was washed in relief. There was something freeing, Hinata noticed, about dropping the mask. She felt a weight fall from her shoulders and onto the snow. She left it there, in the graveyard, where it would forever stay.

Shino had a choice. Confront and start a fray as to hopefully attract comrades, or rush to report. He decided to report to the Hokage. Half of him wanted HInata to get away, after all. He had no desire to witness a comrade's crucifixion at the hands of Naruto. He doubted he could handle it. He stood and maneuvered towards the hokage's office. He swore under his breath. Sasuke had appeared next to him and swung at his head. Shino jumped back, bugs swirling around his wrists and up his arms. Hinata hung back, apprehensive. Sasuke commenced his barrage, which Shino dodged easily - until he didn't and toppled back afflicted with a bruised chest and bloody mouth. Hinata rushed forward and cradled Shino's head to the ground. Sasuke swallowed heavy breaths, trying to slow his heartbeat. The blood round his wrist thickened with every beat.

Hinata stood, and took his arm. Her expression was solemn and she couldn't look at him. Her choice was made a long time ago now, and it was about time she left everything she was behind. She guided him away and toward the front gates. He decided to trust her in this moment, as she looked at him with determination on her features, which she wore so well.

The man posted at the gate was a generic Nin, from the dusty brown hair to the uniform. He was an acquaintance, Hinata had never worked with him but most Nin knew of each other if only by face or name. He smiled at her as she signed the checkout sheet. He wouldn't know she was not really supposed to be leaving the village. Sasuke examined the postman's face, then stepped forward to sign. For all of Sasuke's infamy, his face was not well known by most. And who would expect to see Sasuke Uchiha in such a casual way? Hinata asked the postman about the night.

"Dead," he said, "has been for the last month or so," he paused, "It's the weather, I think."

"I think so too," Hinata smiled, then waved, "Goodbye."

"See ya," the post smiled before kicking his feet back onto the counter and lit a cigarette. The lighter clicked and sputtered, almost empty, but one of the sparks caught and the man got his cigarette. Ashes fell to the counter top and smoke curled into the air.

The mortician, poor soul, would never be payed for her hard worked commission. Hanabi hadn't know it was ordered, and so got one from some other place.

An hour later, deep into shadowy wood, Hinata spoke, "You need to rest." Sasuke was walking unassisted, but there was weakness in his motion.

"Later," he said, "We need to get away from there." He gripped his arm.

"I know that," Hinata defended, "But, you're going to hurt yourself."

Sasuke brushed her words off and the pair walked in silence through the night. It was five in the evening of the next day when they crossed the earth border and reached a small traveller's village, which contained a bar, casino, strip joint, and general wares shop. This place was one of desperation, not luxury. Shutters hung sideways and broken things lined the dusty street. The people were broken too; thin faces and sagging eyes.

Hinata had left ill prepared for such a journey and her light jacket wore thin. Sasuke's wound still seeped, because the scab broke with any extension of his arm. The bar doubled as a motel. Across from the doorway was a staircase, of which every step bowed. Sasuke purchased a room, as Hinata carried no money. The inn keeper/bartender had large eyelids and wide mouth, which was bent in a permanent frown. He moved slow and shook as he dropped the key into Sasuke's palm. Room five was theirs for the night.

She followed him up the stairs. He let himself into the room, leaving the door open for her. As she shut the door Sasuke threw the keys onto the nightstand. The room had one bed, no bath, and no decoration. Not even a list of rules interrupted the plain wood panel wall. Sasuke sat on the side of the bed facing away from Hinata. She watched him stretch his neck by placing his palm against on side and pulling hard against it. Sometimes she was brave, and so she moved to sit behind him.

She said, "Let me take care of that." Sasuke weighed dignity against potential failure. He knew she would offer. He unwound his makeshift bandage and Hinata leaned in to examine the laceration. The broken flesh rippled out at the edges. Skin was bent around where the barbed wire had torn. It looked worse than it was, Sasuke decided.

Hinata brought her left hand to hover over his arm and she focused on healing the wound. Her healing chakra, was out of shape and so stuttered here and there. The process took around twenty minutes before a pink scar shone. Dried blood flaked from his skin when he readjusted his sleeve. Exhausted recklessness caused Sasuke to lay back on the bed, and turn to his side to sleep without discussion or allowing Hinata the option of second watch. He knew, after all, she would insist. She was raised well enough to do nothing else, but sit, blinking into the dusty dark and listening to the volatile ruckus of the downstairs patrons while he lay next to her. Sasuke didn't sleep, didn't let himself fall that deep, but his eyes closed and breathing became shallow. Just as he began to drift, she lay next to him, facing the ceiling. It had become uncomfortable sitting up on the bed. And she wouldn't stand because she was chilled and the bed was warm. She wanted to stay warm in this cold.

Being so still in the dark for such a long while, on a bed, lulled her to tiredness. She turned away from him to lay and fold her hands against her chest. She slept, and so Sasuke couldn't. Hinata had reasoned it would be fine, being outside the border, but Sasuke wasn't one to take chances. He sat up, which cast cool air over HInata. She shivered within her thin skin. Sasuke watched the girl sleep, for a moment. Her brow was strained forward, in discomfort, so bound to wake with a pounding head. He took the blanket between his fingers and tossed his end so it fell over Hinata. It fell in a slanted way that ended up covering her head and leaving her feet bare in the icy air. Sasuke held his breath and she emerged, eyes open, though unseeing, to rearrange herself better beneath the quilt.

"Thanks," she sighed. Sasuke pulled open the one window and fresh air that called attention to the actual clamminess of the room rushed in. Hinata inhaled and she felt the clean, cool air permeate her skin and so she felt refreshed.

Sasuke, was looking for a refuge from so much time with this girl. He wasn't unfond of her presence, but he couldn't relax around her. He figured, it was due to the newness of her company combined with where she came from. He could smell Konoha on her. He sat, letting his feet hang over the ledge of the foot just over the window. Hinata could see his feet, dark shadows in the street lamp light.

She realized he didn't appreciate her lying next to him and embarrassment made her sick. It wasn't like that. She wasn't Karin, she only did it because she thought nothing of it. She hadn't meant to be discourteous. This man's pride, though, was something more unyielding than even she was used to. He clung to his dignity as if that was all he had. Hinata acknowledged the truth in that as she watched his feet disappear out of window view.

Pulling herself from her rest she left the room through the window. He stood on the blue shingled roof, wind rustled across his features. The roof whined as Hinata moved to meet him. She stood down and away from him and due to the roof's slant he appeared further than he was.

He said, "Did you not know he was following you?"

Hinata looked at her feet. His voice was like ice. She shrugged, "You'll be angry with me either way."

"It shouldn't matter how you think it might make me feel," he dismissed.

"I knew," she breathed. She moved her hands as so they were folded across her stomach.

"Good." He turned away from her, "We're moving on."

Hinata followed him into the midnight, cold forest of Earth country.


End file.
